Leslie Gray Streeter

"American Idol": Higher grounds, part-time lovers

I've been battling this cough all week that makes me alternately sound hot and sultry like Kathleen Turner and then also sick and scary, like Jason Vorhees breathing through a bloody hockey mask (Ch Ch-Ch-Ch).

So you have some sort of idea what I sounded like when my sister warned me that the "Stevie Wonder" night special on "American Idol" featured Stevie's 1984 naughty- naughty extra-marital affair jam "Part-Time Lover," as interpreted by the exceedingly sexy, suave, and Billy Dee Williams-like Kevin Covais.

Yes, this Kevin Covais.

The 16-year-old one. Who looks 12. And so wide-eyed, pure and innocent-chickie-in-the-woods that he probably couldn't sneak Goobers into a movie theater convincingly without cracking, let alone sneak around.

And yet..."We are strangers by day/lov-ahs by night/Knowing it's so wrong, feeling so riiiight...."

Ch-ch-ch-ch-chaaaaugh!

Other "Wonder"ful sightings:

- Ace's "Do I Do" was really sharp, but I was swooned-over by his crying at meeting Stevie, as Stevie is my favorite, and some of these other people "weren't all that familiar" with his work. Which makes me unhappy. Yay, pretty Ace.

- Kellie wasn't as bad as the judges seemed to think, honestly. She looked really pretty. But it wasn't her best.

- Little Elliot, now my official favorite of the dudes, also crumbles under the emotional weight of sharing airspace with Stevie. He is a sweetie. I like him muchly.

- Mandisa's "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing" started out way low, but she recovered. Nice.

- Bucky Buckified "Superstition" into some sort of Skynyrd-Stevie hybrid...and it worked. Y'all aren't gonna like this...but Shaggy's growing on me. A Scooby snack for you, my friend.

- Melissa's "Lately" was a mess of missed words, but she ended strong. And yet...You forgot the words. Grrr.

- You know it's not your day, little Lisa Tucker, when you pageant-ize several lines of Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing," which was made for pageantization, and Stevie Wonder comes along...and sounds better than you just humming.Yes, out-hummed by Stevie Wonder. Hang down your head, Tom Dooley.

- Kevin. "Part-Time Lover." "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane" make-up. Frightening dancing. Absolutely no sense of humor, and surliness to Simon. Hmmm...Have you ever been to camp, Kev-o? Camp...with a boot?

- Katharine: Best of the ladies. Love her.

- Taylor: "Living For The City" and with a new haircut. He was almost hot. The Tae-Bo dance was killing me, though.

- Paris: Awww! They shrunk Patti LaBelle! And she's adorable! Now I get her. And she's so cuuuute.

- Chris. OK, so you lose points for thinking "Higher Ground" was originally a Red Hot Chili Peppers song, but their version was amazing, and I love you anyway, and you made it your own, as Paula would say. Actually, Simon said it this time....Simon's stealing from Paula now? Worlds collide! Worlds collide!