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Who's Going to Win American Idol? [Video]

Chadwick Benefield — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:06:09 +0000

American Idol host Ryan Seacrest says it will be one of the closest finales in Idol history. Jessica Sanchez versus Phillip Phillips! And last night, both contestants laid it all out on the line for your votes. So, who won the night? Who SHOULD win the title of American Idol? Let's turn to our Idol expert Steve Thompson, who was tuned in and ready to call the race!

WBKR Reviews Idol's Final Four Showdown [Video]

Chadwick Benefield — Thu, 10 May 2012 13:12:30 +0000

Last night on American Idol, our final four contestants hit the stage trying to earn a spot in the Top Three and those coveted trips home with Idol crew in pursuit. Who took the stage and owned the night? Who fell short and possibly faces elimination tonight on the results show? WBKR's Idol expert Steve Thompson shares his thoughts and ranks the performers. Take a look!

Idol Expert Steve Thompson Weighs in on Top 5 [Video]

Chadwick Benefield — Thu, 03 May 2012 10:26:29 +0000

Last night on American Idol, our remaining Top 5 contestants sang for the Final Four. Each had to tackle two different genres: Songs of the 60's and The British Invasion. WBKR's Idol expert, Steve Thompson, was tuned in and shares his thoughts about who won the night and who's in big trouble. As Steve explains, an early favorite could be sent packing after a very mediocre night.

Skylar Laine Sings QUEEN and ALDEAN on Idol [Video]

Chadwick Benefield — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 10:36:31 +0000

Last night on American Idol, Skylar Laine and our other remaining Idol hopefuls took on the songbook of famed rock group, Queen. And there were stand-out performances all over the place. At one point during the night, Jennifer Lopez asked, "How are we supposed to judge? They are all so good." Luckily, here at WBKR, we have our very own Idol expert. Yes! Steve Thompson was tuned in and, here at WBKR.com, gives us his picks of the night and ideas about who might be going home.

A Little Now and Then on AMERICAN IDOL [Video]

Chadwick Benefield — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 10:38:47 +0000

Last night on American Idol, our final seven contestants went to the mic twice to sing to stay. And the themes were quite simple. Contestants had to choose a song from NOW and one from THEN. So, who won the night and who's in danger of elimination? Let's turn to our American Idol expert, Steve Thompson, who ranks the performances from 7 to 1 in each category and gives his predictions about who will be packing their bags and leaving the Idol mansion.

IDOL's Skylar Laine Sings Kellie Pickler [Video]

Chadwick Benefield — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 10:45:04 +0000

Last night on American Idol, our remaining seven contestants took on hits from the current charts. In fact, each hopeful had to choose a song from 2012 to now. And, Idol's resident country gal, Skylar Laine, took on a big old Kellie Pickler song and swung for the fences. How did she do? Check it out! Plus, read Steve Thompson's full review of last night's show and find out who WBKR's Idol expert thinks is safe and who is danger of going home.

American Idol: The Top 24! Well, Sort Of . . .

Chadwick Benefield — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:33:27 +0000

Last night on American Idol, we met 14 of the Top 24 finalists who will start singing for your votes next week. As usual, with the "Green Mile" episodes, there were some huge surprises (Lauren Gray going home???? Really, AI?). But some of the early favorites, including two country gals, sailed through to the live performance show with flying colors. Our American Idol expert, Steve Thompson, offers up his full analysis of the finalists we've seen thus far . . . and even ranks them in order of worst to best! Take a look!

WBKR's Recap of AMERICAN IDOL's Oregon Auditions [Audio/Video]

Chadwick Benefield — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:18:59 +0000

Last night, for the first-time ever, American Idol rolled into Oregon for auditions. And, in some cases, they hit the mother load! WBKR's Idol expert and I chatted this morning about the hopefuls that could emerge as contenders! And, as he does each week here at WBKR.com, Steve shares his complete review of the show.

Chad Reviews AMERICAN HORROR STORY: TV's Scariest Show Ever!

Chadwick Benefield — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 20:20:50 +0000

Ryan Murphy, the guy who created Glee, now wants to make you pee! And, with the help of his Glee co-worker and co-creative partner, Brad Falchuk, he is doing just that every Wednesday night with the FX original series American Horror Story! When Dave Spencer and I were co-hosting our movie review show The Screening Room, we had pretty much given up on the horror movie genre. Studios realized that for these types of movies to really make money, they had to be rated PG-13. After all, the teenagers were the ones going to the cinema and buying the tickets and, more importantly, buying all those cheeseball special effects and watered-down scary-movie devices. But, suddenly, the genre is alive and well on the small screen. With HBO's True Blood and AMC's The Walking Dead, horror has a new home on the tube. And horror's newest home of all, American Horror Story's MURDER HOUSE, is the most terrifying of them all!

And Your American Idol Is…

Chadwick Benefield — Thu, 26 May 2011 12:07:04 +0000

If you were watching American Idol last night, it may have appeared that Fox meteorologist Ron Rhodes won the title! Because of severe weather coverage and the threat of tornadoes and damaging straight line winds, Ron was on the tube alot during the Idol finale! But that didn't stop the proceedings at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, where Scotty McCreery was crowned our latest champion! So, did American get it right? And will Scotty and runner-up Lauren Alaina have careers after Season 10 is forgotten? Moon, Chad and our Idol expert Steve Thompson take a look at the finale and the season that was . . .

Star and John Sitting In A Tree!

Chadwick Benefield — Mon, 16 May 2011 17:59:22 +0000

If you are John Rich, right about now you need to be pulling your cellular out of your big old fur coat and calling 911! On last night's episode of Celebrity Apprentice, Star Jones (who I like to now refer to as "Satan's Sister") made a very interesting and personal admission. She LOVES her some John Rich! And, the girl ain't even playin'! Given the fact that this show has made me a huge fan of John Rich and I now consider us to be friends, I feel like, as his new BFF, I owe him some advice. Use your short little legs, brother man, and head for the hills!! Pronto!!!!! Star Jones, like crack, is WHACK!

American Idol's Final Four

Chadwick Benefield — Thu, 12 May 2011 11:47:14 +0000

American Idol is down to its version of the Final Four and, last night, James, Lauren, Hayley and Scotty took the stage twice to battle for a spot in the Final Three. In Round One, the contestants took on songs that have inspired them. In Round Two, they got an assist from Lady GaGa with the songs of Leiber and Stoller. So, who was "in it to win it" as Randy Jackson says? And whose dreams of making the American Idol finale will end? Let's check in with our Idol expert Steve Thompson for his take on last night's show.

ANOTHER Open Letter to Lauren Alaina

Chadwick Benefield — Wed, 11 May 2011 11:00:24 +0000

Dear Lauren Alaina,

Chad Benefield here again from WBKR in Owensboro, KY. I am writing to you today to tell you that I have just about had enough and am ready to break up with you. I wrote to you a few weeks ago when it appeared that your nerves were holding you back on American Idol. In my initial letter to you I said that I truly believe that you have the perfect combination of personality and voice that's needed to win the show. But I urged you (in the friendliest of manners) to step up the singing, go for bigger notes and just lay a song out for us once and for all (like Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood would have). After all, American Idol is a singing contest and, to win, you've gotta sing. Now, I don't mean to sound like Ike Turner, but, Tina . . I mean, Lauren . . . you have to sing! Rougher!! Harder!! You better sing, Tina!

Idol's Final Four

Chadwick Benefield — Fri, 06 May 2011 11:56:15 +0000

If you tuned into American Idol last night, you saw Lauren Alaina narrowly escape elimination and a mental breakdown! Country's aspiring sweetheart let her nerves keep her from making all the right moves and hitting all the right notes in "Unchained Melody" on Wednesday night and she nearly paid the price for it on Thursday night. But Lauren lives to see another day, but Jacob will not. Idol's resident gospel/r&b crooner is gone. So, what's in store for the final four? Let's check in with our Idol expert, Steve Thompson!

American Idol Review: The Top Five!

Chadwick Benefield — Thu, 05 May 2011 11:37:26 +0000

With five contestants left on American Idol, the stakes are raised! And, last night, each contestant had to take on two songs . . . one from NOW and another from THEN! For me, the performance of the night belong to James Durbin. I thought his performance of "Without You" was powerful and moving. Any rocker who cries while he sings earns my vote. Okay, correction. He earns my 52 votes. (I think I sprained my text finger last night. LOL!) But what does our Idol expert, Steve Thompson, think about the show and who its star was?

American Idol and The "King"

Chadwick Benefield — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 12:28:37 +0000

Last night on American Idol, our remaining 6 contestants took on the songbook of Carole King. If you tuned into the WBKR Waking Crew this morning, you know that her music has divided Moon and Chad! Moon's a fan of Carole's voice and her songwriting. Chad doesn't think Carole is much of a singer and, consequently, wrote songs that didn't require much "singing!" So, which Idol hopeful manage to choose the RIGHT song? Who was the KING of the last night's show? We turn to our Idol expert, Steve Thompson.

James Durbin "Rocks" The Country

Chadwick Benefield — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 11:35:02 +0000

"Songs from the 21st Century" last night on American Idol. It was definitely a mixed bag . . . with Scotty McCreery singing 'Swingin'" by Lee Ann Rimes (Uh, what?), my favorite little underachiever Lauren Alaina taking on Sara Evans' "Born To Fly" (Uh, why?) and James rocking out to "Uprising" by Muse (Uh, awesome!!). What did our Idol expert Steve Thompson think about the show, how did he rate the performances, and who does he think is hitting the road, Jack?

American Idol Goes To The Movies

Chadwick Benefield — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 11:37:39 +0000

Well, yesterday I wrote "An Open Letter To Lauren Alaina" and encouraged her to start singing like she can WIN this competition. And, last night, Lauren and the other members of Idol's Top 8 went to the movies and performed songs from the cinema. So, how did they fare? Who rocked it out and who's in danger of following in Pia's steps and hitting the house? Our Idol expert Steve Thompson shares his thoughts . . .

An Open Letter To Lauren Alaina

Chadwick Benefield — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 19:10:27 +0000

Dear Lauren,

You don't know me, but my name is Chad Benefield and I do mornings at 92.5 WBKR, a country radio station in Owensboro, KY. We are situated just about 120 miles from Nashville, TN, where you stood on the stage of the historic Ryman Auditorium and knocked the socks off of Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson, Steven Tyler and the rest of the America with your version of "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing." I watched that performance, saved it for days on my DVR, and proclaimed YOU the person to beat in this year's season of American Idol. I am writing to you today because I don't think you listen to my radio station and apparently you didn't hear me.

American Idol: Results Shocker Take Two!

Chadwick Benefield — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 12:01:40 +0000

You got to read my rant about American Idol and what needs to be done to fix it. Now you get to hear from our Idol expert Steve Thompson. How did he feel about last night’s SHOCKING result?? From Steve Thompson: I realize the group Yes is not in the Hall of Fame, but this song [...]