Idol Chatter & Voice Views

OK, Idol viewers, let’s see, we met how many golden ticket winners Tuesday night?

I counted five. Five out of at least 20 Hollywood-bound contestants based on what Ryan said at the end of the episode.

Oh, well. By tomorrow morning, we’ll be provided with names of the rest courtesy of the Idol Web site.

In the meantime, here’s more information on one of my favorite contestants of the night, Jim Ranger, the 27-year-old worship pastor from Bakersfield, Calif.

He’s the guy who dared sing an original song in front of the judges. I mean, over the years, that’s been something of a cardinal sin for contestants who want to be successful.

But Jim pulled it off with a song called “Drive,” though guest judge Avril Lavigne wondered how he’d be able to handle the commitments of a singing career and his family if he does well on Idol.

Jim, you see, has a wife and three young kids, whom we saw briefly on Tuesday’s show.

Funny, Jim addresses that on his MySpace page. “What do I want with my music?” he writes. “I want the world to hear iit. I just want to make sure my wife and kids are my first priority.”

Jim classifies his music as rock, pop and soul on that MySpce page. His bio reveals that he was raised in a preacher’s home and that both of his parents were musicians and singers.

The goal of his songs: “to bring hope and motivate dreams, all the while making your foot tap a little.”

Head to that page and see if he accomplishes his goal.

You’ll find eight of his songs there.

“To Be With You” is exceptional. And “I Have You” is beautiful in its simplicity.