Lee DeWyze Performs “Hallelujah” on The View

Short but sweet interview followed by a nice acoustic version of the song. I definitely like him better stripped down, raw, without all the choir/band/smoke/lightshow extravagance that often intimidates/distracts/overwhelms him on stage.

He is best in these acoustic moments. This was so very nice.

Wow! That was lovely.

really nice performance. thanks for posting.

He was very relaxed on the interview, and those lady made the almost the same question that we have heard in every interview, but they made sound interesting again.
Another amazing version of Hallelujah, i do really prefer him on this acoustic vibe, but i like when he put that big voice out! He is such a nice guy, an awesome person and a great singer, so happy for him! I can’t wait to see he singing Use Somebody live on TV!
Thanks for the video Mj!

Awwe Lee…not mad at you anymore. So cute, and charming. He sounded great too! Loved his crooked smile.

I really like this, and I agree with everyone else that he is at his best acoustic.

I actually liked Tim’s acoustic version better. What bothers me sometimes about Lee is how he bridges going from high to low or vice versa, just isn´t seamless and ruins the flow imo

Cute interview. A very stripped down performance that really showcases his voice. I thought it was great.

I really liked Tim’s version, too. I actually kinda feel sorry for him because it was perhaps his best performance of the year but he lost his stake in performing the song after Lee won.

I really liked Tim’s version, too. I actually kinda feel sorry for him because it was perhaps his best performance of the year but he lost his stake in performing the song after Lee won.

I agree, I´m not a fan of Tim, but thought he did well on Hallelujah and I am pretty sure he´d be performing it now on tour if he´d not lost stake in it, as you put it

Wow. Absolutely beautiful.

I really liked Tim’s version, too. I actually kinda feel sorry for him because it was perhaps his best performance of the year but he lost his stake in performing the song after Lee won.

I still think that was a pretty underhanded and, frankly, rude move on TPTB’s part. I know such is the nature of Idol, but it really only served to minimize both Tim and Lee (even though I realize the intent was to MAXIMIZE Lee).

Thanks for posting the vid, MJ. I think this is my favorite of Lee’s Hallelujah performances. Just beautiful.

I’m glad to hear his voice sounding so good when he sings softly. He’s throwing everything he has into his tour performances, and I worry that he’ll shred his vocal chords. So far, so good, though.

He is best in these acoustic moments.

I do really prefer him on this acoustic vibe

IMO, all AI contestants who get within, say, top 8, sound better acoustic. Why? Because AI does weed out bad singers (i.e., singers who depend on band/autotune/electronica type stuff a la Keisha, Miley, Taylor S.
My point: it is expected that Lee nails these bits. Can he sell records?

it is expected that Lee nails these bits. Can he sell records?

I thought it was expected that he would crash and burn on live TV and embarrass the franchise? At least those were the predictions a month ago ;-)

As to selling records, huge numbers seem unlikely to me. The last time an Idol eve went platinum was 3 years ago, and that took a while to get there. I think Lee can probably go Gold, but not much more than that. Of course, it depends if the album is good or the usual Idol crap. If it’s really good, who knows?

Hey MJ, since you did a thread for Lee’s appearance, is it possible to get a video of Casey on Wendy Williams?

Extremely delighted to be a Lee fan right now. :)

IMO, all AI contestants who get within, say, top 8, sound better acoustic. Why? Because AI does weed out bad singers (i.e., singers who depend on band/autotune/electronica type stuff a la Keisha, Miley, Taylor S.
My point: it is expected that Lee nails these bits.

Yes, but for me it is a very good acoustic version, probably the best in idol land. (And no, I don’t like everything he does, for example I am not of fan of his Use Somebody from the tour)

Best move Simon made all season was handing him this song. I did like Tim’s version too but I ADORE Lee’s, all of them and this was by far my favorite.

As to selling records, huge numbers seem unlikely to me. The last time an Idol eve went platinum was 3 years ago, and that took a while to get there.

David sold platinum in 5 months :) But yea probably will be the last AI platinum album.

IMO the expectations for platinum albums went downhill when no one from the oh-so-popular season 8 couldnt manage one. Surely by now expectations are even lower for Lee.

On a different note I think Lee is getting hooked on Twitter parties LOL He tweeted that he wants to have another one tonight after his writing session. And I swear I’ve never seen any Idol I follow express so much love and thanks to fans. Seriously he says it like every day, twice a day hee.

I checked out of the idol-ness for a while, not following the news or the performances so much. So I listen to this with semi-virgin (ha!) ears, and I must say, I got the full-body chills from this version. Good grief, at my age! So good!

Best move Simon made all season was handing him this song.

Totally agree, Trina, In addition to being the song that probably put him over the top and helped him win the competition, it’s been a great song for him post-idol. Glad that he got over his initial stankyness for the choice!!

No one can predict what the future holds as far as album sales. I love Lee’s 2 pre-idol CDs… so I have great confidence in him and his ability to put out a winner post-idol… only time will tell.

This was absolutely lovely. I really wish Lee would sing this one song on tour more like his View performance; stripped down, laid-back acoustic. I like his other performances on tour, but this one lends itself more to the acoustic version in my opinion.

I was really pissed when Tim sang Hallelujah on Idol because before that I thought Jason Castro owned that song. Then, Tim sang it so well, I was like, oh well-they can share. Then when Simon picked Hallelujah for Lee, I was like “Whaaatt?” Just didn’t make sense. But I guess it certainly wasn’t Lee’s fault – and he’s done very well with it. Kudos to him for this performance and interview – good job.

Loved it. For me, he is interesting to watch.
Listening to Slumberland made me like Lee more as an artist/ songwriter. I hope to one day hear him perform songs off of Slumberland.

Looking forward to his album.

I hate to be a downer, but this is the worst version of Hallelujah I have ever heard. I fell in love with Jason Castro’s sweet version and then couldn’t believe how well Tim Urban sang it. I came to the conclusion that Hallelujah just couldn’t be sung badly.

Sorry, Lee, but you proved me wrong. Maybe it’s the arrangement, but it seemed as though every note was off. Shrek is holding his head as is Leonard Cohen even though I am sure it will make money for the writer Cohen. Then again, there may be a reason why there are so many cancellations on this tour with Lee leading it. :(

Best move Simon made all season was handing him this manufactured “moment” song

I’m sure plenty of people didn’t see through the fact that the spectacle onstage that was Lee’s Hallelujah on the show wasn’t the way he would have really done it, but it didn’t matter, because it definitely went in his favor. Honestly for me, Tim’s Hallelujah > Lee’s acoustic Hallelujah > Lee’s top 3 OTT Hallelujah. There was just something about the raw, pure honest performance of Tim’s that I feel really is missing from Lee’s acoustic performance. It’s the thing missing from pretty much any of his acoustic performances I’ve heard – he seems to be better pitch-wise when he strips songs down like this but at least to me I just don’t feel the emotion that others do. Maybe it’s because I’m not female? (Trust me, I feel emotion from songs, I’m known to cry listening to quite a few in fact.) I dunno. However this I will say – that was some of the best guitar playing I’ve heard from Lee. I actually liked what he did with that, it fits his vocal style. (See – it’s not impossible for me to compliment him on something.)

As far as post Idol sales expectations, my predictions haven’t changed much. People think I’m nuts, but I still say Crystal’s debut ends up selling 2-3 million. She’s got a LOT of non-typical Idol fans already that she brought to the show, IMO, and I think she’ll impress outside of the Idol sphere as well. (And those who say that her fans are older and therefore won’t be as supportive…what??? Older people aren’t as quick to jump on the “next new thing” so if they like her, it’ll bode well for her. My dad has bought 2 past Idol’s albums…Carrie and Clay, and he’s already said he’s buying Crystal’s when it comes out. Her album will be the first that more than one person in our family buys as well.) I think Casey can be successful as well, but no idea how much he’ll sell because I really don’t know what direction he’ll go and that’ll have a lot to do with his success. Lee will do well to sell as well as Kris has, and I don’t know that he’ll manage that much even – if he manages 300,000 he should be happy. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, he was the flavor of the month in winning AI, but a lot of his fanbase will have moved on to the next Bieber/Jonas Brothers or whatever by the time his album drops.

he really does have a lovely voice and his style is sweet and genuine….if he comes out w good material Id buy it.

Then again, there may be a reason why there are so many cancellations on this tour with Lee leading it.

Actually (twice in a thread now I’m actually almost sticking up for Lee, so take notice people, lol) I really don’t think the blame for that has much at all to do with Lee. As I understand it, there’s a good many Lee fans at every stop the tour has had. I think the problem really is twofold – media and others were downers on this season for pretty much the whole time and the effects of that have lasted, plus as has been said over and over…a LOT of tours aren’t doing well this summer. It was one of the top stories on our local news a few days back, because between the Huntington Center (the new arena where the tour will be stopping in Toledo in late August) and downtown by the river, concerts in our area have not been doing well at all. Now I think the riverside concerts were way overpriced, but there were stories several times this year where somewhat recognized acts were only drawing a couple hundred at best with tickets costing $20 at the gate, then dropped to $10, then even $5 I think. Remaining concerts for the summer are $5 now and I think they finally had a couple thousand last weekend for the 4th of July holiday. It’s really just not a good time for live music right now at all – whether it’s the economy, the music world, or whatever. It’s affected much more than just the Idols tour, but people want to make it seem as though it’s because of this specific group and they probably bear only a small part of the overall reason.

Lee sounded really good!

Thanks for posting! This version of Hallelujah from Lee may be my favorite of his. I love how all the textures in his voice come out in these stripped down performances.

I’m sorry, I gave him another chance to redeem himself but I don’t like this version at all. He turned it into a toe-tapping ditty. It is a gut wrenching emotional song and this version….well, I hope I never have to listen to again. I much, much, much prefer Jason Castro’s version. And at least Jason knew better than to sing it during the AI tour. The best version was Jason without microphone, just him & guitar & raw emotion in pin-dropping silence.

I like the almost-swing thing he’s going going on this time. It’s different. I *really* like the shiny tux lapels and shirt that matches his eyes. What a cutie-patootie.

I think that’s the most animated I’ve ever seen him in an interview. Maybe he’s finally starting to loosen up a little. I’ll bet spending a lot of time on the road with Andrew is helping. :)

he really does have a lovely voice and his style is sweet and genuine….if he comes out w good material Id buy it.

I would too – I adore his voice and his musical sensibilities – but I don’t have much faith in the Idol machine. I’ve not liked one album so far in 8 seasons so I don’t expect this year to be any different.

Mozart, it really is true that the older the fan base, the lower the sales. Yes, there is the very occasional exception to that rule, but ask any record label exec who buys albums and they’ll tell you young kids.

Loved the performance and interview too but why can’t we leave the paintsaleman out of this from now on? Is that too much to ask?

My point: it is expected that Lee nails these bits. Can he sell records?

Hell, yeah!

Yes, there is the very occasional exception to that rule, but ask any record label exec who buys albums and they’ll tell you young kids.

Maybe Crystal is the next Bieber?! LOLLOL

Seriously though? Given all the circumstances, and this is
JMO but maybe instead of predicting Taylor Swift level sales its wiser to hope for enough to be considered successful. Sometimes huge expectations can lead to big disappointment.

I thought it was expected that he would crash and burn on live TV and embarrass the franchise? At least those were the predictions a month ago

American Idol is live TV so I don’t get why people would think he couldn’t do live TV.

This is by far his best version of this song. And even though I’m not a big Lee fan, I really enjoyed his performance last night, as well, because he sang all (most?) of the verses. It’s really a spectacular song, even if it’s been over-exposed in recent years.

To put it simply, Leeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee is the best.

I agree with you Bootstar about the song being over exposed. I think Lee helped make it current again and this was his best version yet. On tour I love it though when he does his raspy Hallelujah. It works well within the concert venue.

Loved this interview, Lee looked great and seemed relaxed. And I feel like it’s been more than a month! He’s got so much to do! Looking forward to album. I loved the idol performance of Hallelujah, the tour version which is more dynamic, and this gentler acoustic version.

I’ve been going back and forth with this because I want to know and I don’t want to know. But here goes. Just how heavy a smoker is this guy?

I saw in his twitter party a couple of nights ago that Lee is trying to give up fast food so if that means he’s trying to be healthier then maybe he is trying to quit smoking too. We can hope anyway.

Seriously beautiful version of Hallelujah.

I loved this version.

I didn’t know he is a smoker! I knew he “was” a smoker. Thought he had quit already. Anyway, none of my business.

I have now listened to this on better speakers with the volume up, and all I can say is WOW. OMG, I have chills. His voice sounds so good, and I especially love his lower register, which we don’t get to hear very often. This is an absolutely gorgeous version.

During the season I said that Lee was a work in progress. I know that he is developing himself, but you can see that he has come so far, even since the finale. I think he’s progressing in a very fine way. I’m really proud of him.

glamertitis:

I didn’t know he is a smoker! I knew he “was” a smoker. Thought he had quit already. Anyway, none of my business.

Welll…….99% of the time, I would agree with you. What they do in the off-season is none of my concern. But considering he is a singer (who I happen to like a lot) and considering what I know cigarettes can do to a person’s voice, I do think it’s my business. I hope what you’ve heard of him already being a former smoker, is true.

flicker: During the season I said that Lee was a work in progress. I know that he is developing himself, but you can see that he has come so far, even since the finale. I think he’s progressing in a very fine way. I’m really proud of him.

There’s a reason why he kept mentioning a weight lifted off his shoulder. To me, AI seems to be a means to the end for Lee. He just wanted to get through it and used that platform to develop his music career. AI helped him understand better the way of the idustry. Now it’s over. He’s going to show us his true color.

Fans asked him some interesting questions on his twitter party after the View.

How tall are you?
@LeeDeWyze: Mountain.

My favorite~

What’s the best part of being famous?
@LeeDeWyze: talking to you guys!

Love it!!!

I agree, D.Cookie (boy, I’m agreeing with everyone tonight). Lee knew exactly what this show could do for him, and it was something he wanted very very badly. If I hadn’t known it before, it would have been impossible to miss after seeing him at Arlington. There’s no doubt in my mind he “could taste it.”

What I like about Lee is that the seriousness and passion that have resulted in a lot of people dissing him for being “boring” and “self-centered,” is really going to come out in what he does going forward. That album is going to have as much of his blood, sweat and tears as they will allow him to cram into it. I can’t wait.

I first heard of Lee smoking last night on live blog from someone who heard it from someone, so I try not to treat unsubstantiated rumors as facts. As sick as Lee has been, it would be so hard on him to smoke. I am believing he doesn’t until it’s a proven fact. He knows what he needs to do to win, he has great work ethic and he will choose right.

wjmtv:
07/12/2010 at 9:20 pm
glamertitis:

I didn’t know he is a smoker! I knew he “was” a smoker. Thought he had quit already. Anyway, none of my business.

Welll…….99% of the time, I would agree with you. What they do in the off-season is none of my concern. But considering he is a singer (who I happen to like a lot) and considering what I know cigarettes can do to a person’s voice, I do think it’s my business. I hope what you’ve heard of him already being a

I was speaking more from a former smoker opinion. I agree about the damage and all, and have learned some new methods for quitting if anyone is interested :)
Another thing that will help if he is eating healthier he will feel better and make it easier to quit.

Very nice version of Hallelujah, but my favorite is still the version that he did on Idol. I loved the way he turned it into a muscular, masculine cry of pain. I love the song, no matter who’s singing it, but that version brought something new to the song, IMHO. I’m glad the version he does on the tour is closer to his Idol performance.

MP3 of Hallelujah on The View:

http://www.mediafire.com/file/mm5zznnd5ey/Hallelujah (The View, 7_12_10).mp3

Woohoo. thank you CathyMK – I was hoping someone would make an mp3 :)

I don’t even follow Lee that closely and Ive seen photos of him with cigarette packets and lighters, so yes, he smokes.

I’ve never enjoyed the motherly aspect of Idol fandom. If Lee wants to smoke, or drink …. or set himself on fire, he should do it. He’s a grown man.

I’ve seen most of Lee’s performances and interviews, and this one isn’t my favorite. But I’ll be positive anyway! I loved the mini-smoke machine and the way he sang it pretty softly. The many layers of Lee. Anytime he doesn’t sing with a 20-person choir, I’m happy!

sallysimmons – those pictures are old though… I haven’t seen anything recent of him still smoking.
He really is looking confident in this interview. He is surely becoming a pro at all this media and post Idol preformances. I don’t remember hearing even one “youknow”! lol

Very nice version! Yes, Lee is showing more confidence, and I think he could feel the love from the gals.

CathyMK, Thanks a lot for the mp3 link. Was so happy and excited when I saw it.

Thanks a million for the mp3, CathyMK!

sallysimmons:

I’ve never enjoyed the motherly aspect of Idol fandom. If Lee wants to smoke, or drink …. or set himself on fire, he should do it. He’s a grown man.

Then you’re gonna have to sue me, cuz I can’t help maself……..I worry! It’s what I do! :p

Seriously…I like his rasp right where it is right now. So I guess you could argue that I am not, in fact, being maternal, but rather outright selfish. Yep. Gonna have to sue me for that too.

After the View, got this from @DweezySignal~
Did you miss Lee DeWyze’s “official” Twitter party today? Here’s the run down:
* Favorite Dave Matthews Band song: Bartender
* Favorite song to play on tour: Rocket Man
* Plans after Idol: Make an album, tour it & meet as man fans as possible
* If idol didn’t happen: He’d be a fireman & still play music
* In reference to his PB&J sandwich, what kind of jelly: grape jelly
* Cookies or brownies: His mom’s homemade Chocolate Chip cookies
* His thoughts on Oompa-Loompas: seem like a fun bunch
* Favorite animal: Lion Tamrin Monkey or sea-otter
* On the Quiz Q from Ellen about Niagara Falls: I didn’t understand the question!!!
* What one can do to get his attention at the concert: bring him a bear
* Favorite cologne: Curve Crush
* Chocolate or vanilla: Chocolate
* He ALWAYS comes out after his shows…always.
* Does Big Mike feels Tim’s pecs twice a day: Lee hopes so.
* Favorite car: Mustang
* Capone has been his buddy for 4 years.
* He doesn’t actually know why he didn’t play the piano on Idol
* He likes Kites, they are fun.
* What should we make for dinner: Brats & beer
* Favorite Disney movie: Aladdin & Lion King
* He loves the zoo
* Italian Beef in Chicago or Philly Cheese-steak in Philly: Chicago
* Spiderman is cool but he’s a Big Mighty Mouse fan
* His style is his own style, no fashion consultant dresses him
* Cartoon Character crush: Belle, Beauty & the Beast
* Life after Idol: Either Cali or Chicago
* Favorite holiday: Christmas Season or St. Patrick’s Day
Favorite things to do on days off: Workout, relax, watch a movie
* Favorite scary movie: “It”…it’s scary as all heck
* Carrie Underwood is a sweetheart
* Favorite love song: “Walk Away” Ben Harper or “Waiting on an Angel”
* The Annie shirt was a Thrift Store gem
* Would he survive a zombie invasion: yes
* He is Irish
* Favorite Video games: Mario Kart, Mario Party or Super Monkey Ball (old school)
* He loves coffee
* Best part of being famous: Talking to us
* If he were a candy bar, what would he be: Snickers or Sour Patch Kid
* On a scale from 1-10, how obsessed is he with Twitter: 5
* He love his fans
* How tall are you (or favorite band): Mountain -Unclear of the actual Q-
* PC or Mac: He’s a Mac guy
* He owns 12 pairs of Chucks

I too am wondering if he’s still smoking. I know for a fact he has before, but ever since Idol started, I have not heard/seen any pictures or anthing of him smoking. I worry, because I like him, and his voice. Lol.

I think Lee has also become more comfortable with twitter lately. I’m really glad he’s able to interact with his fans. His answers are so cute. I’m sure he’s gonna be getting lots of teddy bears, snickers, and sour patch kids from now on. Oh and Lee, you’re never going to live that Niagra Falls question down ;)

Idol smokers: You are never going to see them do it in public or on camera. It’s probably an edict from TPTB.

Taylor Hicks, Elliott Yamin, Bucky Covington, Gina Glocksen, Kimberly Caldwell are just a few examples of Idols who smoke.

The discovery that an Idol smokes, is usually met with denial first, then a rash of mothering and a bit of a meltdown. Then, everyone eventually adjusts. Like Sally said more or less, it’s Lee’s life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oN2HvQxEG1U

Video of Lee’s parents saying thank you to his fans.

Interesting about all those Idols who were/are smokers. But then there were/are so many smokers in the “regular” world of music, especially the original crooners. And by the 60s, they all probably smoked something ;)

That video from Lee’s parents is so heartfelt and beautiful… The pictures they used from AI – so many great shots of Lee I hadn’t seen. Thank you for posting this for us Mariam94

Lee couldn’t sleep and just posted a hilarious picture on twitter and a video.

JCPT, thanks for the Twitter recap! His first twitter pic is hilarious. And he posted his first twit vid tonight, too.

I love this version of Hallelujah. He looked comfortable and sounded great!

As for the smoking, I do like the amount of rasp in his voice and, of course, smoking is bad for your voice but it really makes no difference to me otherwise.

Links to the twitpic and twitvid mentioned…

http://twitpic.com/24ufu8

http://www.twitvid.com/NSZEV

I also like how Lee takes his music and performances very seriously but is starting to let out his fun personality here.

Brats and beer, eh? That’s pretty romantic, dude. But judging from the comments on the twitpic, it’s probably best to avoid any hint of romance for fear of causing a stampede. Mighty Mouse makes up for the mac. ;)

http://www.twitvid.com/NSZEV

The twitpic left me speechless…

Matt Giraud is following him! I like Matt! amazing pianist and a funny fellow!

JCPT and Tigervixxxen thanks for the links and for the twitter party recap. Did he do that twitvid in the mirror? His tattoos are on the wrong arms. Anyone else notice that?

I noticed it, AIaddict. I thought about tweeting him to ask how he did that, but he appears to be technologically challenged, and may not know. lol

Here is a great review of the performance:
http://idolator.com/5563531/lee-dewyze-hallelujah-the-view

Lee DeWyze Makes The Ladies Of ‘The View’ Go “Hallelujah”!

“Lee, whose debut album drops this October, is really showing the world why deserved to win American Idol, and it’s baffling to us why we’re just now discovering how good a singer he is.”

“And we already loved “Hallelujah” when we first heard it during the Top 3 week, but this simple, subtle version is even better without the band and the backup choir overpowering him. Well done, DeWyze!”

But I always know how good a singer he is! :)

Too bad Lee’s latest news and video gets buried here. Not many will see it :(