Daughtry is a star

Back on Feb. 24 I predicted the American Idol finalists would be Chris Daughtry (this fella here) and Taylor Hicks, and I was looking like a genius until tonight, when Daughtry was shockingly "voted off the island." My suspicion is that the vote was rigged because there was no suspense left in this year's competition - all along I believed Taylor was the guy who would win the right to stand next to Chris when Daughtry is named this year's winner.

Chris Daughtry is simply the best talent the show has ever found, an honest-to-God rock star whose album I can't wait to hear. Maybe this is a good thing, because now he's not doomed to make the simpering album they always force the Idol winner to make.

My new prediction: Taylor Hicks goes next week. Elliott Yamin and Katharine McPhee are both worthy talents and, apparently more importantly, more of the "safe" variety that the Idol producers seem to favor. This is a pop star competition, not a rock star competition.

The final four did a medley of Elvis songs tonight and I was struck by how well they sang together. As a group they could be the next Monkees. Not gonna happen; I'm just saying.