American Idol
Cast & Crew
Matt Roush says...
The singing competition pauses for a musical tribute in honor of one of its own: Mandisa, the soulful Christian singer from Season 5 who passed away on April 18 at her Nashville home at 47. “She was an inspiration on the show and beyond,” host Ryan Seacrest noted in announcing the celebration of a standout who made it to the Top 9 in a very competitive 2006 season. This year’s Top 8 also perform one of three songs secretly selected by judges Luke Bryan, Kate Perry and Lionel Richie, with America voting for who’ll make it to the Top 6, and the judges making a save for a seventh singer to move forward.