You make the call
Tonight's the night to cast your final vote. Who will be the next American Idol?
By SHARON FINK and SEAN DALY
Published May 23, 2006
KATHARINE MCPHEE
Age: 21
Residence: Los Angeles, Calif.
Catchphrase: Catch McPheever!
Loyal Fanbase: Anyone who has paid to see Celine Dion; foot fetishists
Fashion: Pre-Raphaelite meets Forever 21
Best Performance: Somewhere Over the Rainbow in the final three
Worst Performance: That Hound Dog/All Shook Up debacle for Elvis Week
Best Simon Snark: After the Elvis mess, "It looked like a desperate, manic audition."
It Factor: Great voice, great hair, great curves
Ick Factor: McPhakeness
Ten Years From Now: Playing Belle in Beauty and the Beast . . . in Des Moines, Iowa.
TAYLOR HICKS
Age: 29
Residence: Birmingham, Ala.
Catchphrase: Soul Patrol!
Loyal Fanbase: That guy who sold you nails at Home Depot; that guy's wife
Fashion: Soccer dad chic.
Best Performance: You Are So Beautiful for the final three
Worst Performance: Take Me Home, Country Roads for Country Week.
Best Simon Snark: After Stevie Wonder's Living for the City, "Your appeal is that you're like every dad who ever got drunk at a wedding."
It Factor: Makes Home Depot guy think that he can sing, too.
Ick Factor: Dude, you're not Ray Charles . . . or Joe Cocker . . . or Michael McDonald.
Ten Years From Now: Auditioning for the lead in The Sam Cooke Story.
AND THE WINNER IS . . . TAYLOR HICKS