Mormon Pop: American Idol

There are a few LDS singers who are going to Hollywood this season on American Idol. We all remember Carmen Rasmusen and Jon Peter Lewis from past seasons (among a few other almost-finalists). Both Carmen and Jon are gigging regularly and have recently released new albums. (I�ve seen Carmen showcase in Nashville and perform locally, and I believe she�s got the goods for The Big Time).

For the new season, Southern Californian Brooke White got the thumbs up from all three judges after her �I�ve-never-seen-an-R-rated movie� audition in Pennsylvania (the song was �Like A Star�). Watch the clip here.

What makes me wonder how far Brooke has risen in the already-in-progress season is that her former web site is no longer up. A friend of mine is in Brooke�s ward, and he�s been telling me how great she is for several years now. So I check in on her web site from time to time. But now the web site is �under construction.� It might just be a coincidence, but it could indicate that she is �under contract� with the show�s producers — or least wanting to spruce up her web site for the increased traffic she�ll be getting.

The other LDS contestant who got the thumbs up from all three judges is 16-year-old David Archuleta from Salt Lake City, who auditioned in San Diego.

Local arranger/songwriter Richard Parkinson has been working with David for a couple years. Here they are doing Oh Holy Night. Parkinson says, �I met his dad in a Sam's Club in Murray — no kidding — and immediately began to put together a few Christmas songs for his performances in 2005. I was totally blown away. I really could not believe he was this good. But he is, and I took every opportunity to just be around his amazing talent. Besides that, I believe he is a better person than he is a singer, if you can believe that!�

Both of these singers can SING! So stay tuned. We�ll see how far they rise.

QUICK NOTES: Colorado-based singer Allyse Smith�s debut CD, �Come Thou Fount,� is a peaceful collection of hymns and standards (with pianist Marvin Goldstein). Meanwhile, artist/engineer Clayton Pixton of Kansas City takes a totally different approach with �Hymns Anew�, even though both artists cover �Come Thou Fount.� Pixton�s 12-song collection offers up acoustic/vocal style arrangements. Instruments include piano, guitar, tin whistle, and of course lots of neat vocals, says Pixton on his web site. Both albums are definitely worth checking out.