Tami Gosnell: Press

Remember Tami Gosnell, the pedicab driver from Colorado? Now there was a star. When she sang "Whipping Post" during her audition, it was like that scene in "The Queen" when Helen Mirren's Queen Elizabeth is nearly rendered speechless by the sight of a magnificent, elusive stag. Such moments happen rarely, when we least expect them.

So invigorating was Gosnell's bluesy, natural performance that it required another viewing, courtesy of DVR. She had a certain something -- a quality that can vaguely be described as "IT."

She was also inexplicably cut after this year's Hollywood rounds. In a sea of "blah," Gosnell certainly stood out.

Isn't that worth voting for?

"But let's start with the good or, more accurately, the totally frickin' awesome. I know we only got to hear a little snippet of Tami Gosnell's ''Whipping Post,'' but she delivered it with the ferocity and fearlessness of a woman who's spent her life on an uphill climb — which may actually be the case, considering that Tami earns a living as a pedicab driver. Simon was right that the 29-year-old came off like ''someone who'd have been a big star in the '60s,'' and with her stringy hair, makeup-free complexion, pierced lip, and earth-goddess curves, Tami's probably the closest Idol will ever come to a modern-day Janis Joplin."

"Gosnell’s voice has much of the same bluesy, commanding style that was indicative of Joplin, but her material has a surreal sense about it: almost as if Mazzy Star or Tori Amos had joined forces with the deceased icon. Her songwriting is intelligent, even complex in moments."

"Though the wet dream of a Janis Joplin/Ani DiFranco double bill will always
remain fantasy, Tami Gosnell offers a hint of what this would sound like in
one soulful, dynamite performance."

Tami Gosnell, the woman who sang Whipping Post in a '60s blues/rock-styled voice, was probably the first and only contestant I really liked thus far in these audition shows. So far she's the only one with a voice that sounds like something distinct, someone whose record I may actually want to hear. We've seen other technically good singers but most sound like the interchangeable faceless pop/R&B stars of today. Tami seems to have raw soul.

"Gosnell's gracious pitch will stick with you and her upbeat and ambitious lyrics can place a spell on you of overwhelming joy and comfort."

"Tami is one of the most promising talents in the valley today. Strong songwriting and an enigmatic performer, there is a bright future ahead of her."