Jennifer Hudson - Star

When I wrote my congratulations to David Cook for winning this season's "American Idol", I omitted one important name of the few winners and runners-up who went on to true success after the show. Arguably, the most accomplished of all... Oscar® and Grammy®-winning Jennifer Hudson. I didn't mean to forget her; I guess my short-term recall doesn't let me remember Jennifer Hudson as an Idol contestant.

To me, in terms of true artistic quality, the only other successful Idol on par with the wonderful Ms. Hudson is Chris Daughtry. Even the fine-voiced singer, Clay Aiken, ended up deteriorating... going the same route as many trained voices (some like Aiken, David Archuleta, etc. on Idol are trained; others are obviously not) wherein commercial success demands that they strain and stretch their instruments out of shape.

I'm eager to hear Jennifer Hudson's new album and to see how her in-person appearances hold up. She has not made a lot of widely-televised live singing appearances since Idol or her Academy Award®-winning turn in the film version of Dreamgirls. I assume this is wise. Time will tell. But Hudson's is undoubtedly a superior voice.

Again, my apologies, Ms. Hudson, for the egregious omission.

Congratulations David Cook

Though I confess that I was rooting for "the other David", I am almost equally happy that David Cook just won "American Idol". Where his fellow top-finalist, David Archuleta, has the superior vocal instrument from a pure vocal perspective, Cook is already experienced, well packaged and makes everything he sings contemporary... and HIS OWN.

I feel that David Cook will actually be one of the rare (!) Idols that continues to be successful after the show--like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, and runners-up, Clay Aiken and Chris Daughtry.

I'm thrilled for him.