Melinda Doolittle to Perform at Feinstein’s, New York City – VIDEO

Good god, I love that woman!

Add me to the list of checking her out live. wow

Except for this years s8 contestants I knew very little of past contestants, and through research and reading on this joint, I got to know a great deal of past idols. The AI concept never really caught my attention, if anything it was something I tried to avoid. But anyway, Melinda is fascinating; one of only two alums that I have admiration for.

She is exquisite. Just exquisite.

She is fabulous!!! Thanks for putting this up, MJ. What a treat. Her CD is really great — for anyone that loved her on Idol and hasn’t picked it up yet – do it, you won’t be disappointed.

Do it, Mindy Doo!

Does this lady deserve a great career or what? And her album, to my ears, is one of the best of any Idol finalist. (Newbies to Melinda, check it out at her website, http://www.melindadoolittle.com)

I really hope she gets the accolades she richly deserves for this high-profile gig at Feinstein’s. And anyone heard yet about a possible Grammy nom for her album? there was some light buzz about that….

Cool. I might just go to New York on purpose to see that. Love Melinda, love her album. So happy to see that she is getting some good gigs.

It’s an embarrassment that she didn’t make the final. Keep working it, Melinda! You sound great as always.

I had always love Melinda when she was on Idol, I actually voted for her as my fave, even Simon had liked her and was disappointed at the results too. She is very articulate, she speaks well and sings just as well. It is that season that I had decided not to watch AI anymore and I didn’t until I heard Adam Lambert singing “Black or White” that drew me back to watching season 8 and for the first time I followed through the entire tour……..but that is my last time for real. The competition has gone to the dogs with people being able to power vote etc. It is not the same anymore for me for you for me not the same dawg!

I honestly love Melinda’s voice – she is great and I wish she would get more exposure. There is lots of great talent from past seasons that got brushed under the rug for some unknown reason and I hope she gets to be seen and heard more, it is definitely not too late. Her voice is unique, that kind of voice does not exist currently and we need to hear more of her and that’s my honest opinion. I think she will do well in Broadway musicals etc., I guess being a backup singer for many years you have the potential to come forward and shine on your own and she is great. I love her songs, all of them.

This is amazing. Melinda she is a wonderful Singer. Thanks to share with us.

Great performance… and funny, too! I would love to see her in a venue like that.

Wow, she’s the real deal, ain’t she?

What a voice!

This sounds like a theatre song, is it from a musical? She was my favorite S6, and I was shocked she didn’t win. Not that Jordin isn’t good, but Melinda just knew how to interpret a song, in my opinion, and she still does, as evidenced above. Thanks MJ, I haven’t seen her around lately, soit’s good to here about her again.

That song is from the musical/movie “The Wiz.” Diana Ross did a great job with it also. I’m going to look for Melinda’s CD soon!

I love many of the idols, but in my opinion, Melinda is the best vocalist to come through AI. I wish her huge success, or at least the ability to make a good living with that incredible voice.

And anyone heard yet about a possible Grammy nom for her album? there was some light buzz about that’ ¦.

mj posted a list some time back, which is at the thread below. There may have been a previous link, as well as some extra info in the comments of this link. But yes, Melinda is on the list for submissions. I believe that Dec. 2 is the day that nominations will be announced, with the awards show happening on Jan. 31.

http://mjsbigblog.com/more-grammy-submissions.htm

http://mjsbigblog.com/more-grammy-submissions.htm

I love many of the idols, but in my opinion, Melinda is the best vocalist to come through AI. I wish her huge success, or at least the ability to make a good living with that incredible voice.

Agreed. She is amazing. And my apologies for posting the link about the Grammy submissions twice. Old computer acting up.

Melinda Doolittle, in my opinion, is absolutely the best singer *ever* on AI– bar none. I was in absolute disbelief when she was voted off. Go to youtube and find anything with her. She is terrific! Just spent the last hour enjoying her music all over again.

Oh, and I like the way she sings if you can’t tell

I was sick to my stomach when Melinda got voted off Idol. I agree, that she is the best “singer” ever on the show (this is supported by her WNTS score). Loved this performance. She really deserves so much more success than she has achieved. I really don’t understand the modern music scene.

Id love to see her in a setting like that. I bet its amazing. What a fucking voice.

She’s a force of nature, granted, and I think she should rightly be compared with a young Gladys Knight or Oleta Adams. However, do I detect a possible early or developing vocal node? The final note is flat. And the note leading up is strained. With the final sustain, it appears that she physically can’t raise up the note the 1/8th or so needed. The vibratto is very warbly. We all know that Mindy does not have pitch problems, so I do wonder what’s going on. I hope she rests that gift of hers.

edit is not working. it’s vibrato, sorry.

Here’s a video of Melinda performing “Home” on AI. Paula was actually moved to tears.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNWu76bwCRo

I really must go purchase her CD.

I think that Melinda is absolutely incredible, I love her. When I started watching AI for the first time this past year, I knew nothing about it, couldn’t have told you if Taylor or Jordin were a girl or a boy even. I saw mentions of all these people though and was curious, so when I found the website “What Not to Sing”, I started looking up some of the performances on their highest rated performance list. I believe that the song linked to below was the first time I ever saw Melinda, and I am pretty sure I sat there with my mouth hanging open in shock. How could I not have heard about her? How could she have lost to Jordin (no offense, she’s a lovely girl). Still a mystery, but I love this performance and I know it’s a matter of taste, but I have not seen any other Idol performance that impressed me more than this one. If there are any other Idol relative newbies out there like me, check Melinda out, she is amazing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=an3DC79oHOY

I’m still ticked that she apparently isn’t that famous. She deserves so much, she’s easily in my top 5 Idol favorites of all time.

Melinda is incredibly talented. She didn’t win, I think, because she was a little older and not as pretty as Jordin. Sad, unfair, but there is is. Feinstein’s is a lovely place to see a singer, it’s very intimate.

She’s is such a talented singer. I was so disappointed when she was voted off. Would love to see her in a place like that.. what a treat!

The delightful Ms. Doolittle. Wow, I wonder could I get an early holiday gift……Mindy @ Feinstein’s, perfect together! Well I can dream!

Melinda was definitely my favorite Season 6. I think another reason she didn’t win was because when you start out with a performance as good as the one JosieX posted on top 24, there’s not much growth to be shown. I know people on this site have posted many times that the ones who do the best are the ones who show growth throughout the competition. Unfortunately for her, Melinda was always that good.

carolinacharms — “Home” is a tough song, and she might have had a cold or whatever. I don’t think you can diagnose a vocal node on the basis of one poorly recorded tune. Because she’s such an experienced pro, I have to believe she knows a lot about taking care of her voice.

I’m thrilled with this thread, because I too felt Melinda got the shaft — not perhaps from AI, which wanted a poppy young thing and pushed Jordin, but from not getting signed by Anti or some Universal or some other label that would put some muscle behind her. With that great voice, and her lovely personality, she should have been out there plugging her great album on major TV shows like Letterman, etc.

A Grammy nom would be fantastic for her, though it isn’t the end-all. Another wonderful R & B sing (young but old school) named Ryan Shaw was nominated, and though it offered him a boost he’s still struggling to get that big platform.

It’s fascinating to me how so many people (young & old) adore Motown, and new R & B stars like Adele and Duffy, and yet seem unaware or uninterested in some of our homegrown singers of equal ability. It does indeed say a lot about the shallowness of the current music industry.

Just for kicks, though, here’s Ryan Shaw — who by the way you can hear on a TV commercial these days (can’t remember for what) singing a bang-up version of “Knock on Wood”). He and Melinda could be the new Otis & Carla!:

SOUL MUSIC LOVERS — THIS IS A TREAT! “We Got Love” (Grammy nominated cut) by Ryan Shaw:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2kPxI78eZE&feature=PlayList&p=00E82F557AFD56E7&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=48