'American Idol' Recap: Mariah Carey Cries in Baton Rouge

'American Idol' Recap: Mariah Carey Cries in Baton RougeContestant's version of 'I'm Here' brings the diva judge to tears $(document).ready(function() { $('.socialActionsTop .pageActions .email-content').hover( function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.email').show(); }, function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.email').hide(); } ); $('.socialActionsTop .pageActions .print-page').hover( function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.print').show(); }, function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.print').hide(); } ); }); By

Mariah Carey cried last night on American Idol, but it wasn't because of Nicki Minaj rolling her eyes extra hard at her. No, Mariah was crying because Burnell Taylor's rendition of "I'm Here," from The Color Purple, drove her to tears. The timbre and tenor of his voice also made Keith Urban momentarily forget he was on camera, close his eyes and start swaying. When the last note drifted lazily from Burnell's mouth, Randy Jackson, Keith and even diva Mariah were on their feet clapping. (There's a slight possibility that Nicki may have been glued to her chair.) Mariah declared, "Burnell made me cry!" while Keith sighed, "Somewhere there's a spotlight just waiting for you to walk into it." Burnell was quickly handed a golden ticket. Outside, Ryan Seacrest tells him, "You've changed that panel forever, my friend. " Burnell's dad looks skeptical and asks him, "You that good?"

'American Idol': Rolling Stone's Complete Coverage

Burnell was the last of 35 contestants to make it to Hollywood from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a.k.a. the birthplace of Randy Jackson. While much of the snooze-y Baton Rouge auditions were filled with notably terrible singers who have never been told by a trusted adult that they are tone deaf and awful, there were a few stand-outs: 

Megan Miller a.k.a. Miss Greater Baton Rouge showed up at the Idol auditions in heels and on crutches like the pageant queen she is. She has to go have surgery on her leg immediately after she auditions. Being a trooper is one thing, but come on: PRIORITIES. She delivers a punchy version of "Something's Got a Hold on Me" that is good enough for the judges to vote her through to Hollywood as quickly as possible so she can go get her damn surgery already. Nicki likes that she's not using her broken leg as a crutch (sorry!), but is just doing her job, like a professional. 

Charlie Askew is a socially awkward 17-year-old who has only been able to connect to people through his music. He delivers a powerful few bars of Queen's "Breakthrough." The judges are "pleasantly surprised" with his voice. Keith thinks it's "not of a gender," but in a good way "like Bowie." Mariah claims she can identify with the scrawny puberty-addled redhead, which earns a well-deserved eyeroll from Nicki. 

Maddie Assel was nominated for Idol by her grandma. She was singing on a New Orleans street when Randy found her using a Liam Neeson-like set of tracking skills. He handed her a ticket and told her to show up the next day to perform for the judges. Maddie's voice has a sweetly feminine bluesy rasp, which she compares to Beyoncé, Adele and Hailey Reinhardt. Keith laughs that she "doesn't sound like any of them." Then we meet the most interesting person on the show thus far: Maddie's grandma. When Maddie walks out, golden ticket in hand, she instantly announces, "Grandma, you're so embarrassing!" And her grandmother just adjusts her mask, throws her Mardi Gras beads, twirls her umbrella and mutters something about "magic dust" and "zombies" as the True Blood theme song starts up. 

Paul Jolley sings Rascall Flatts "I Won't Let Go" to honor his grandfather, who recently died. Nicki has a few things to say about the performance: "You have a nice texture to your tone, a nice quality to your voice, a sparkle in your eye, and a partridge in a pear tree." When he earned his trip to Hollywood, he made his grandma cry.  

Doogie Howser is trying out for Idol! Dr. Calvin Peters is a fresh-faced third-year resident who loves to sing. Not one to shy away from a challenge, he is singing a Maxwell song, a feat that Keith compares to a triple black diamond ski slope. Randy visibly gulps a few times during the tremendous performance. Dr. Peters earns himself four yeses and then changes his name to Doc Hollywood. 

Dustin Watts is a singing fireman who does a Garth Brooks song in such a pitch-perfect country twang that Keith looks a little jealous. 

Best Nicki-ism: Nicki (wrapped in a blanket like she's watching Netflix on the dorm room couch) offers to run her hands through Chris "Mushroom" Barthel's hair to bless him for all his days. 

Most Mariah Moment: Keith called Nicki "Mariah," quickly realized his mistake, "I think I'll have to go and say some Hail Marys for that!" "A thousand Hail Marys," Nicki responded. "And then some," Mariah clarified.

Most Alarming Contestant: A girl who looks like Chloe Sevigny has a major freak out, which is especially funny if you pretend it really is Chloe Sevigny auditioning to get in character for a part. 

Previously: Nicki Minaj Storms Off the Set

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Mariah Carey Sits Ringside With Rick Ross in 'Triumphant'

Mariah Carey Sits Ringside With Rick Ross in 'Triumphant'Meek Mill also cameos in video for singer's latest single $(document).ready(function() { $('.socialActionsTop .pageActions .email-content').hover( function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.email').show(); }, function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.email').hide(); } ); $('.socialActionsTop .pageActions .print-page').hover( function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.print').show(); }, function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.print').hide(); } ); }); By

Mariah Carey has a ringside seat next to Rick Ross while Meek Mill bobs and weaves into the camera in the new boxing-themed video for Carey's song "Triumphant (Get 'Em)." Mill starts it off, rapping from his corner before the bell rings; then a dapper, besuited Ross takes over, punctuating his rhymes with waves of the fat cigar in his left hand. When Carey's not watching the action, she alternates between serving as the ring card girl and singing in a slinky gold dress while confetti rains down on her. 

The song is from Carey's upcoming 14th studio album. She also recently signed on to be a judge on the 12th season of American Idol.

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Mariah Carey Sits Ringside With Rick Ross in 'Triumphant'

Mariah Carey Sits Ringside With Rick Ross in 'Triumphant'Meek Mill also cameos in video for singer's latest single $(document).ready(function() { $('.socialActionsTop .pageActions .email-content').hover( function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.email').show(); }, function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.email').hide(); } ); $('.socialActionsTop .pageActions .print-page').hover( function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.print').show(); }, function() { $('.socialActionsTop .bubble.print').hide(); } ); }); By

Mariah Carey has a ringside seat next to Rick Ross while Meek Mill bobs and weaves into the camera in the new boxing-themed video for Carey's song "Triumphant (Get 'Em)." Mill starts it off, rapping from his corner before the bell rings; then a dapper, besuited Ross takes over, punctuating his rhymes with waves of the fat cigar in his left hand. When Carey's not watching the action, she alternates between serving as the ring card girl and singing in a slinky gold dress while confetti rains down on her. 

The song is from Carey's upcoming 14th studio album. She also recently signed on to be a judge on the 12th season of American Idol.

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Mariah Carey Returns to Stage in NYC

Mariah Carey performs during Escape To Total Rewards at Gotham Hall in New York City. Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Caesars Entertainment

Mariah Carey hid in front of 150 people, patting her face with a tissue, the spotlight turned off at her request. She said she was stalling for time, something "those who know her" would understand. She tossed the tissues aside; they fluttered in the air like her eyelashes, her long hair, her fingertips, her voice.

Mariah high-stepped back to the center of the stage, her black floor-length gown coming to life with every twist of her hips. "I didn't really know it was a big drama like that," she said, "like it was my first time coming to the stage since having them babies."

Everything about Carey's return to the stage last night screamed big and loud – the actual space, New York's Gotham Hall, with its gilded chandelier hanging beneath an ornately hand-crafted ceiling; the press releases; the burly man pushing himself above the crowd outside, opening and closing his otherwise-unused umbrella while leading a call-and-response of "Mariah! Carey!" It was a capital-e Extravaganza where Mariah's opening act was no smaller than Diddy; where she underwent not one but two consultations with her makeup team between songs. It was a half-hour set.

Random Notes: Hottest Rock Pictures

That set started off with some more recent hits – "Shake It Off," "Touch My Body," "Obsessed" – a light workout for a voice that could do much heavier lifting. Freed, the singer minced around, turning "Obsessed" into a melodramatic mini-opera with the help of her backup dancers. (Between spins and kicks, they played fans and paparazzi.) Five songs in, there was a clear shift from flirty and fun to steel-voiced and iron-lunged, as Carey sang to the rafters. "Always Be My Baby" and "We Belong Together" turned the volume knob to fortissimo, with the crowd singing just as loud. During "I'll Be There," a duet with Trey Lorenz, she whispered, "We miss you, Michael." A girl near the bar wiped her eyes.

Leaving the stage, Carey returned for "Hero," saying, "I thought they said I didn't have any time left, I thought I couldn't close with the song I always close with." The performance of her 1993 mega-hit was the saving grace of a very bloated, often slow-paced night.

Mariah was funny, unhinged as only Mariah can be, letting her sentences run on until they got tired. She play-fought with the lighting guys, with the sound techs, with the woman who came out to fix her shoes. During one particularly long break, as someone touched up her lips and someone else changed her jewelry, she said, "Pretend like the band is playing right now!" She mentioned that she'd almost brought her twins to the concert, but she didn't want to be late; besides, "Monroe takes a minute to warm up." Like mother, like daughter. (More serious, but no less joyful, she announced that husband Nick Cannon was somewhere in the room, though still recovering from his recent kidney failure.)

It was almost easy to forget that Diddy performed as well, hours earlier. Acting as hype man to his own material, he let the crowd finish most of the lyrics. (He also stood back for a medley of Rihanna, LMFAO and the Rapture, briefly turning New York's Midtown into Las Vegas – appropriate, for a night sponsored by Caesar's.) Sprinting through his hits, he careened into "I Need a Girl Pt. 2" after barely two bars of "Pt. 1." He shouted out Big Ang from "Mob Wives" and then went straight into a set honoring the Notorious B.I.G., dancing to "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems," taking his glasses off for "I'll Be Missing U." Somehow, Diddy did not return to join Mariah for his remix of "Honey," a classic of the shiny-suit era.

Across the country, other concerts were taking place simultaneously, an all-out promotion for Caesar's Entertainment. Selections from each performance streamed online; hosts Melanie B. from the Spice Girls and E! host Giuliana Rancic provided transitions as if plugged into a wall. Between songs, Mariah complained about cameras, how nothing could escape the watchful eyes of The Internet: "I hate this filming . . . bleep. Nothing's live anymore." Possibly unbeknownst to her, online audiences weren't able to see anything after "It's Like That," her first song of the night. They'd sat through Gavin DeGraw in New Orleans, Sara Bareilles in Chicago, a highlight reel of Celine Dion and a particularly grating performance by Lil' Wayne in Los Angeles, whose band shifted from too soft to too loud, and back. In the middle of the night, Giuliana Rancic threw to Sara Bareilles with her arms crossed. "We could not be more excited," she said.

After Carey performed, the in-house video showed Cee Lo Green swishing around in pink pants for an L.A. audience. Mary J. Blige hit the New Orleans stage even later. Though the night continued, no one in New York stuck around.

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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Mariah Carey Returns to Stage in NYC

Mariah Carey performs during Escape To Total Rewards at Gotham Hall in New York City. Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Caesars Entertainment

Mariah Carey hid in front of 150 people, patting her face with a tissue, the spotlight turned off at her request. She said she was stalling for time, something "those who know her" would understand. She tossed the tissues aside; they fluttered in the air like her eyelashes, her long hair, her fingertips, her voice.

Mariah high-stepped back to the center of the stage, her black floor-length gown coming to life with every twist of her hips. "I didn't really know it was a big drama like that," she said, "like it was my first time coming to the stage since having them babies."

Everything about Carey's return to the stage last night screamed big and loud – the actual space, New York's Gotham Hall, with its gilded chandelier hanging beneath an ornately hand-crafted ceiling; the press releases; the burly man pushing himself above the crowd outside, opening and closing his otherwise-unused umbrella while leading a call-and-response of "Mariah! Carey!" It was a capital-e Extravaganza where Mariah's opening act was no smaller than Diddy; where she underwent not one but two consultations with her makeup team between songs. It was a half-hour set.

Random Notes: Hottest Rock Pictures

That set started off with some more recent hits – "Shake It Off," "Touch My Body," "Obsessed" – a light workout for a voice that could do much heavier lifting. Freed, the singer minced around, turning "Obsessed" into a melodramatic mini-opera with the help of her backup dancers. (Between spins and kicks, they played fans and paparazzi.) Five songs in, there was a clear shift from flirty and fun to steel-voiced and iron-lunged, as Carey sang to the rafters. "Always Be My Baby" and "We Belong Together" turned the volume knob to fortissimo, with the crowd singing just as loud. During "I'll Be There," a duet with Trey Lorenz, she whispered, "We miss you, Michael." A girl near the bar wiped her eyes.

Leaving the stage, Carey returned for "Hero," saying, "I thought they said I didn't have any time left, I thought I couldn't close with the song I always close with." The performance of her 1993 mega-hit was the saving grace of a very bloated, often slow-paced night.

Mariah was funny, unhinged as only Mariah can be, letting her sentences run on until they got tired. She play-fought with the lighting guys, with the sound techs, with the woman who came out to fix her shoes. During one particularly long break, as someone touched up her lips and someone else changed her jewelry, she said, "Pretend like the band is playing right now!" She mentioned that she'd almost brought her twins to the concert, but she didn't want to be late; besides, "Monroe takes a minute to warm up." Like mother, like daughter. (More serious, but no less joyful, she announced that husband Nick Cannon was somewhere in the room, though still recovering from his recent kidney failure.)

It was almost easy to forget that Diddy performed as well, hours earlier. Acting as hype man to his own material, he let the crowd finish most of the lyrics. (He also stood back for a medley of Rihanna, LMFAO and the Rapture, briefly turning New York's Midtown into Las Vegas – appropriate, for a night sponsored by Caesar's.) Sprinting through his hits, he careened into "I Need a Girl Pt. 2" after barely two bars of "Pt. 1." He shouted out Big Ang from "Mob Wives" and then went straight into a set honoring the Notorious B.I.G., dancing to "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems," taking his glasses off for "I'll Be Missing U." Somehow, Diddy did not return to join Mariah for his remix of "Honey," a classic of the shiny-suit era.

Across the country, other concerts were taking place simultaneously, an all-out promotion for Caesar's Entertainment. Selections from each performance streamed online; hosts Melanie B. from the Spice Girls and E! host Giuliana Rancic provided transitions as if plugged into a wall. Between songs, Mariah complained about cameras, how nothing could escape the watchful eyes of The Internet: "I hate this filming . . . bleep. Nothing's live anymore." Possibly unbeknownst to her, online audiences weren't able to see anything after "It's Like That," her first song of the night. They'd sat through Gavin DeGraw in New Orleans, Sara Bareilles in Chicago, a highlight reel of Celine Dion and a particularly grating performance by Lil' Wayne in Los Angeles, whose band shifted from too soft to too loud, and back. In the middle of the night, Giuliana Rancic threw to Sara Bareilles with her arms crossed. "We could not be more excited," she said.

After Carey performed, the in-house video showed Cee Lo Green swishing around in pink pants for an L.A. audience. Mary J. Blige hit the New Orleans stage even later. Though the night continued, no one in New York stuck around.

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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Mariah Carey, Diddy, Others React to Whitney Houston's Death

Whitney Houston accepts the Winner of The International Favorite Artist Award at the American Music Awards.Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Whitney Houston's death at the age of 48 has created an outpouring of reactions on Twitter and elsewhere.

Her family released a statement Sunday afternoon:

We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Whitney. This is an unimaginable tragedy and we will miss her terribly. We appreciate the outpouring of love and support from her fans and friends. — The Houston Family.

Mariah Carey released the following statement:

Heartbroken and in tears over the shocking death of my friend, the incomparable Ms. Whitney Houston. My heartfelt condolences to Whitney's family and to all her millions of fans throughout the world. She will never be forgotten as one of the greatest voices to ever grace the earth.

Aretha Franklin, Houston's godmother, posted on Facebook:

I just can’t talk about it now. It’s so stunning and unbelievable. I couldn’t believe what I was reading coming across the TV screen. My heart goes out to Cissy, her daughter Bobbi Kris, her family and Bobby.

Diddy attended Clive Davis' pre-Grammy gala and said, "Whitney always hit you with that beautiful smile, that incredible energy. Whitney Houston had the greatest voice in the world. We truly lost an angel."

“Whitney was family to me," Smokey Robinson told CNN. "I will always love her. She is one of the greatest voices in the history of music."

At the Cash Money Records party last night, rapper Mystikal called the news "Very sad." Busta Rhymes told Rolling Stone, "She was my friend." Rhymes remembered the last time he saw Houston, at a small party with Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz and family. "It was an intimate moment – a friends and family moment. It wasn't a music gathering. It was getting together after a long work day and enjoying a nice evening."

Dolly Parton, who wrote "I Will Always Love You," which was one of Houston's greatest hits, released a statement:

Mine is only one of the millions of hearts broken over the death of Whitney Houston. I will always be grateful and in awe of the wonderful performance she did on my song and I can truly say from the bottom of my heart, “Whitney, I will always love you. You will be missed.”

"Sound of Philadelphia" producers Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff released a statement calling Houston "one of the greatest voices of all time," adding,

Her passing is a tremendous shock and a terrible shame. She had a rough life and was under so much pressure as an artist, because she meant so much to the music community. She was one of the most admired singers ever, who was loved by everybody. We’re praying for her family.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie released this statement on the passing of the Garden State native:

Whitney Houston was a true New Jersey treasure. Her terribly premature death is an awful loss for her family and the incredible New Jersey musical family. Her soaring talent put her in the pantheon of great New Jersey musical talents like Frank Sinatra, Count Basie and Bruce Springsteen.

Quincy Jones:

I am absolutely heartbroken at the news of Whitney’s passing. Ashford & Simpson first made me aware of Whitney when she was just sixteen, and I always regretted not having had the opportunity to work with her. She was a true original and a talent beyond compare. I will miss her terribly.

Producer Rodney Jerkins, who worked with Houston on "It's Not Right But It's Okay:"

Whitney Houston was by far one of the greatest artists I ever worked with. One of the most amazing, anointed, gifted voices I've ever had the chance to capture in the studio. Most importantly she was a beautiful person, she had such a sweet, beautiful spirit. She blessed us with so much greatness in songs that we can never ever forget her. Whitney was a dear friend and my family will truly miss her. Our love and prayers go out to the entire Houston family! We love and miss u Whitney!

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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Mariah Carey, Diddy, Others React to Whitney Houston's Death

Whitney Houston accepts the Winner of The International Favorite Artist Award at the American Music Awards.Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Whitney Houston's death at the age of 48 has created an outpouring of reactions on Twitter and elsewhere.

Her family released a statement Sunday afternoon:

We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Whitney. This is an unimaginable tragedy and we will miss her terribly. We appreciate the outpouring of love and support from her fans and friends. — The Houston Family.

Mariah Carey released the following statement:

Heartbroken and in tears over the shocking death of my friend, the incomparable Ms. Whitney Houston. My heartfelt condolences to Whitney's family and to all her millions of fans throughout the world. She will never be forgotten as one of the greatest voices to ever grace the earth.

Aretha Franklin, Houston's godmother, posted on Facebook:

I just can’t talk about it now. It’s so stunning and unbelievable. I couldn’t believe what I was reading coming across the TV screen. My heart goes out to Cissy, her daughter Bobbi Kris, her family and Bobby.

Diddy attended Clive Davis' pre-Grammy gala and said, "Whitney always hit you with that beautiful smile, that incredible energy. Whitney Houston had the greatest voice in the world. We truly lost an angel."

“Whitney was family to me," Smokey Robinson told CNN. "I will always love her. She is one of the greatest voices in the history of music."

At the Cash Money Records party last night, rapper Mystikal called the news "Very sad." Busta Rhymes told Rolling Stone, "She was my friend." Rhymes remembered the last time he saw Houston, at a small party with Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz and family. "It was an intimate moment – a friends and family moment. It wasn't a music gathering. It was getting together after a long work day and enjoying a nice evening."

Dolly Parton, who wrote "I Will Always Love You," which was one of Houston's greatest hits, released a statement:

Mine is only one of the millions of hearts broken over the death of Whitney Houston. I will always be grateful and in awe of the wonderful performance she did on my song and I can truly say from the bottom of my heart, “Whitney, I will always love you. You will be missed.”

"Sound of Philadelphia" producers Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff released a statement calling Houston "one of the greatest voices of all time," adding,

Her passing is a tremendous shock and a terrible shame. She had a rough life and was under so much pressure as an artist, because she meant so much to the music community. She was one of the most admired singers ever, who was loved by everybody. We’re praying for her family.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie released this statement on the passing of the Garden State native:

Whitney Houston was a true New Jersey treasure. Her terribly premature death is an awful loss for her family and the incredible New Jersey musical family. Her soaring talent put her in the pantheon of great New Jersey musical talents like Frank Sinatra, Count Basie and Bruce Springsteen.

Quincy Jones:

I am absolutely heartbroken at the news of Whitney’s passing. Ashford & Simpson first made me aware of Whitney when she was just sixteen, and I always regretted not having had the opportunity to work with her. She was a true original and a talent beyond compare. I will miss her terribly.

Producer Rodney Jerkins, who worked with Houston on "It's Not Right But It's Okay:"

Whitney Houston was by far one of the greatest artists I ever worked with. One of the most amazing, anointed, gifted voices I've ever had the chance to capture in the studio. Most importantly she was a beautiful person, she had such a sweet, beautiful spirit. She blessed us with so much greatness in songs that we can never ever forget her. Whitney was a dear friend and my family will truly miss her. Our love and prayers go out to the entire Houston family! We love and miss u Whitney!

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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