Here, in the It's Destiny! inaugural piece, Destiny will share with you some of the best moments from American Idol.

Memorable Performances:

Tamyra Gray’s Top 30 performance of “You’re Gonna Love Me” (Season One)
She was the first contestant to perform for a voting public. When she belted out “and you, and you, and you- you’re gonna love me,” she was right. The competition couldn’t have been started in a more exciting way.

Kelly Clarkson’s “Respect” performance in the Top 30 (Season One)
Kelly had received no airtime whatsoever prior to the Top 30. America voted for her based solely on this performance, and they never looked back. Kelly went the entire competition without ever being in the bottom two or three of the weekly votes. She and Clay Aiken are the only ones to do so in the history of American Idol. “Respect” was the first in a string of memorable performances from Kelly. Every single one of her performances could easily make this list, because they are ALL so memorable and rank amongst the best of any season. Her style and personality combined with her outrageous vocal ability blew us out of the water. It was so fun to see what she would sing each week and what she would be wearing while she did. With each performance she made it blatantly obvious that she is the American Idol.

Justin Guarini’s “For Once In My Life” on the first Top Ten show (Season One)
It was magical. Everything was right about that moment. Justin had already shown his remarkable talent in his first appearances on the show in the initial New York and Pasadena auditions and in the semi-finals, but this performance on this night is what confirmed 100% that he was something so special. It can best be summed up by Paula Abdul’s speechless reaction that included her being turned into a puddle. LET THE MAGIC BEGIN! Justin went on to give a non-stop run of exciting performances, displaying his outrageous stage presence, impeccable wardrobe, beautiful voice, and that rare and charming ability he has to draw the audience in and make you think he’s singing just to you.

“It Takes Two” finale night performance by Kelly and Justin (Season One)
This duet summed up why these two were the perfect final duo on the show. It really displayed the fun, style, and personality that is missing from most contestants since then.

Clay Aiken’s “This Is The Night” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (Season Two)
These performances summed up the greatness that is Clay Aiken. His remarkable voice and ability to interpret a song, coupled with his unassuming demeanor made him connect in an explosive way to anyone watching. Clay dominated the second season of American Idol and should have won the title. These two performances confirmed that fact.

Jennifer Hudson’s “Weekend In New England” (Season Three)
This performance was breathtaking. She brought new life and passion to this Manilow classic. Her vocal talent, personality, and style made her a standout of the season. Unfortunately, the audience rewarded this standout performance by kicking Jennifer off the show the next night.

Fantasia Barrino’s “All My Life” (Season Three)
All of Fantasia’s performances were outstanding, but this one (despite some critics’ apathetic comments to the contrary) really displayed her versatility and ability to convey the emotions of a song to an audience. She is an absolutely brilliant artist. She definitely does the title of American Idol proud.

Best “Rejects”:

While Keith from Season Two and William Hung from Season Three get all the press for being the ultimate American Idol rejects, they don’t top my list. Here are my best of the worst:

Derek (Season One) With his pseudo-hip hop outfit and performance of an original song, Derek tops my list. He gave America its first glimpse into the delusions of grandeur that are a staple of the American Idol reject when he started off by saying to the judges, “I believe I’m the best in America, I believe I can do a lot for this country. I love selling music, and I love performing.” He follows this up with a memorable snort midway through his song, after which he pauses and says, “Do you want to hear the chorus?” Simon promptly replies, “No. I couldn’t hear anymore.” Classic. Click here to see it him action.

Rose (Season One) She gave American Idol its first and perhaps best example of the sassy reject with her signature response to Randy Jackson’s observation that she didn’t hit any of the right notes in her song: “I wasn’t trying to sing the right notes.” She also secures her spot on my list with her post-audition exchange with Ryan Seacrest.
Rose: “They think they can judge me.”
Seacrest: “Well, they are the judges.”

Tamika (Season One) She was the first one to really bark back at the judges' negative comments, and the results were hilarious. After much arguing between the two parties, Tamika finally walks out of the audition room, gives a talk-to-the-hand gesture, and says, “y’all got problems, y’all got major issues.” You can see the whole exchange here.

Georgina (Season Three) She provided the funniest moments of the entire third season with her performance of “Spanish Eyes”with her troupe of puppets at the Los Angeles auditions. The best part is her self-description prior to her audition in which she comments on her outfit with such catchphrases as “the necklace is just a showpiece; it’s not even real gold” and “the hat just adds a little bit of class.” HYS-TE-RI-CAL!

Best Simon Comment: To Season One auditioner, Levi Blue, after he begs the judges to pass him on so they can mold him into a star: “This is a pen, not a magic wand.”

Best Season: Season One. While there have been talented people and discovered gems in all three seasons, the first season of the show is unmatched in its overall charm, excitement, and originality. Even the “rejects” of the first season are the most entertaining. I'm excited at the prospect that Season One may be making a comeback on the Fox Reality channel in 2005. This is a must-see for those of you who missed it the first time around. We’ll keep you posted on any more details.

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