Entertainment, TV, Television - Marine Corps Times

What’s next for LaKisha? The sky’s the limit

The morning after being voted off “American Idol,” LaKisha Jones said things were sort of OK.

She had checked that out with her 4-year-old daughter. “I called and she said, ‘Mommy, I’m not mad,”‘ Jones during an interview this morning by phone.

Besides, finishing fourth isn’t that bad. “All I can say is, ‘Look at Chris Daughtry,’ ” Jones said, referring to the singer who finished No. 4 last year, then jumped to No. 1 on the Billboard charts.

For now, she’ll stay in Los Angeles and go on the “American Idol” tour. That’s in the summertime, so her mother (a teacher) and daughter will come along.

From there, she hopes to do a record of an undetermined genre. “I want it to be sassy and soulful.”

The goal in all this is to make enough to buy a home. “I don’t ever want to rent again,” she said. “I don’t care if I have anything in it. I just want to have a key and open the door and let my daughter run around in it.”

All of that ties into the LaKisha legend, which gets tangled at times. For instance:

• On “Idol,” Jones said she had no vocal training. On Thursday, she said she’d had two years of vocal studies — Broadway and classical and more — at the University of Michigan.

• “Idol” originally listed Jones as from Maryland, but she said she’s from Flint, Mich. The actual route is more complicated, she said: She grew up in Flint, went to college for two years, sang in Houston for six and a half years, then moved to a bank-teller job in Baltimore, shortly before landing “Idol.”

• Along the way, she was often referred to as being laid off from her bank job. Actually, she said, she still had the job when she landed “Idol.” If she had to say where she lives now, she’d go with Houston or Los Angeles.

Jones sang a powerhouse “Dreamgirls” song at the “Idol” auditions, then repeated it early in the competition. It was her way, she said, of saying she’s staying around.

It also may have set up one problem. “I believe everyone wanted an ‘I’m Telling You’ moment every week.”

That wasn’t possible in several of the categories, she said. Things fell apart this week when each singer did two Barry Gibb songs.

The trouble started with her own mistakes, she said, choosing the wrong Gibb songs.

Adding to her problems, she said, a drycleaner ruined the blouse she’d planned to wear. “That really messed me up.”

Then came one more problem. “I was hoarse on Tuesday. I tried to sing over my hoarseness.”

It didn’t work. Simon Cowell — the “Idol” judge who had praised and kissed her (“his lips were really soft and thin”) was unimpressed.

Jones was ousted. That’s OK, she said. Her daughter told her so.

On the tube:

What: “American Idol”

When: 8 p.m. Tuesdays; results show 9 p.m. Wednesdays for the next two weeks. The season finale airs Wednesday, May 23.

Where: Fox.