Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Top 11/12 — Disqualified

Top 13 — Knocks Me Off My Feet

Semifinals — Dance With My Father

That segue on American Idol’s Portland episode tonight was just too good to be a mistake.

First, Ben Purdom of Philly murdered Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” and got dispatched without a golden ticket.

Next up: Towering 6-foot-8 “and don’t take away his one-half” Jermaine Jones, a 24-year-old music teacher whose mom proclaimed that he “was born this way.”

She didn’t mean Lady Gaga rebellious and she sure wasn’t referring to his height.

She meant his inclination toward music.

You see, she performed a service and a concert in church on the night she gave birth to him.

“He came out singing,” she says.

Jermaine backs her up on that statement.

“My family is all music,” he told Idol.  “It’s my life.  I eat it.  I breathe it.  I sleep it.  It’s just me.”

Despite years of experience, Jermaine was visibly nervous performing Luther Vandross’ “Superstar” for the judges.  You could tell that by the sweat he had to wipe off his brow.

But the judges loved it anyway.

Jennifer Lopez told him he has a “natural gift.”  Steven Tyler called his voice “spiritual.”

And Jermaine’s mom shrieked into the phone when he delivered the news that he had snagged a golden ticket.

Hey, you have to root for any 24-year-old who isn’t afraid of calling himself a momma’s boy.

Jermaine was identified by Idol’s bluebar as a music teacher from Penn Hills, N.J.  (What in the world were all those East Coasters doing at the Portland auditions?)

He classifies his music as R&B on MySpace, where you can hear one of his songs.  And at some point, he performed with a group called the KC Entertainment Allstarz.

Now, here are video of a couple of Jermaine Jones’ performances.

“Alone”

“Apologize”