The Top 3 on American Idol, Jordan McCullough, Hannah Harper and Keyla Richardson. (ABC Photo)
The day after Mother’s Day, the odds are pretty good that a mother will walk away with the Season 24 American Idol crown.
Keyla Richardson, of course, is mom to her 9-year-old son Drew, who’s been seen frequently on the show.
Hannah Harper is son to three boys, who we’ve seen less frequently, but who helped inspire the original song that she sang at her audition and helped that audition go viral.
In 23 previous seasons, only eight women have won American Idol. Fantasia Barrino was the only one who was a mother at the time of her victory.
Keyla and Hannah will be competing with Jordan McCullough for the Idol title during a three-hour season finale. The fun begins Monday at p.m.
Guest performances for Monday’s season finale
Song by song grades for the Top 5
A look at who scored Monday’s most popular performances
Here’s how Idol Chatter is ranking the finalists. I’ll also listing where I expect each singer to wind up finishing.
1. Jordan McCullough, 27, Murfreesboro, Tenn.: I’ve had Jordan at the top in my rankings all season, and I’m not about to change that now. Monday, Luke Bryan called him “one of the best singers we’ve every had.” Carrie Underwood made an even better point: He’s got a huge voice, and a keen sense for when to go big. He’s also the most versatile of the finalist and the best showman when he hits the stage. Expected finish — 2.
2. Hannah Harper, 25, Willow Springs, Missouri: And here’s where I remind folks that the show is called American Idol, not The Greatest Showman. That’s not a knock on Hannah’s vocal talent. She’s got a lovely voice and, more importantly, the ability to move people with that voice. She also comes across as humble, gracious and genuine, wonderful traits even more appreciated in these divisive times. Oh, and that audition song, “String Cheese,” has now been streamed 1.5 mllion times on Spotify alone. Expected finish — 1.
3. Keyla Richardson, 29, Pensacola, Fla.: Among the Top 5, Keyla definitely deserved a spot in the Season 24 finale. But she lost some momentum last week. She failed to deliver the moment I thought she would with “River Deep, Mountain High,” then lost the spotlight to Taylor Hicks in the duet round. But, hey, give her credit or interacting with the pros from Dancing with the Stars. And she’s quite capable of bouncing back in superlative fashion in the finale. I just don’t think she’ll be able to overcome Jordan or Hannah. Expected finish — 3.
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