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American Idol is now Lee DeWyze's to lose

By April MacIntyre May 19, 2010, 5:12 GMT

04/24/2010 - Lee DeWyze - © Salpi Bezdjian / PR Photos

It is simply no contest now as Lee DeWyze showed up the frontrunner Crystal Bowersox on tonight's "American Idol. Not an easy feat.

The show revealed tonight that James is a really good looking bar singer and Bowersox, immensely talented as she is, is no match for the wow factor DeWyze pulls out of his six string.

It was during the second half when all three did their second songs that "Frampton Came Alive", the judges previously ennervated by James' "busking" performance and Bowersox's predictable Etheridge cover.

Simon loves that Leonard Cohen weeper "Hallelujah," which was the appointed song for DeWyze and the bell weather for the judges to throw up their hands and give it to Lee, the dark horse who finishes to the end.

James sang Eric Hutchinson's 2008 song "OK, It's Alright With Me," in his first performance and it totally underwhelmed the judges.

Randy Jackson said like the lyrics, it was just "alright"; Ellen DeGeneres agreed, and Simon said, "The problem is, it is arguably the most important night of your life, you're lucky you've got two song choices, because I would compare that first song to if you were having dinner, that was the salad. In other words, there's something more hopefully substantial to come."

Bowersox sang "Come to My Window" by Melissa Etheridge, a song perfect for the soulful Ohio native.  It wasn't great.

Randy Jackson didn't love the arrangement but said Bowersox rose above with her vocals and won him over. Cowell agreed and gave her props for never once compromising during the entire competition. "You came out here and you just decided to do what is you," he said. "It's a very honest performance, and I think you probably made the right choice."

Illinois boy Lee DeWyze first belted out Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man."

Cowell loves this guy and said Lee picked well. "I don't think you won round one; I think you just crushed the other two," Cowell said. Comparing him to a "little baby lamb" when they first met him.  Randy went nuts, "Somebody here is feelin' like they could win!"

Second round judges picks saw Randy and Kara assign John Mayer's "Daughters" for James, saying it fit his commercial appeal to women.

He did a sexy jazz cover of the only contemporary song in the mix.

Cowell wasn't keen on Kara's song choice, saying he liked the performance but had an issue with the "lazy" arrangement and held his fellow judges responsible for not providing James with a "moment."

Ellen assigns "Maybe I'm Amazed" to Crystal, and she delivered her best performance fo the night.

Jackson shouted, "Great song, great vocals, and America, we got somebody else in it to win it!" Kara praised her for putting down the guitar and showing off new parts of her voice. "What you've proved after that performance is that you've got soul," said Cowell.  "You worked outside of your comfort zone, and after that, you may be thanking Ellen next week for putting you in the final. That was terrific."

But tonight's DeWyze rendition of Simon's selected Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," was the show stopper.

Lee sang it for all its worth and he earned a standing ovation.

"Lee, you are what this show is all about," Kara said. "Somebody who starts in one place and ends up here tonight in an incredible, epic moment. You are the heart of this show this season, and you just owned the entire night."

Cowell was the smiling Cheshire cat, smiles and he noted he was proud of DeWyze and said the performance proved a kid who worked in some paint store was a "fantastic singer and a great person" who is on his way to another life.