Rock Star: INXS -- and the winner is...

J.D. Fortune.

What?!? J.D. the troublemaker? J.D. the food-fight instigator? J.D. who was nearly eliminated on the very first episode? J.D. whose performances have been so inconsistent? J.D. who couldn't work with others for a songwriting assignment? J.D. who was unprepared to lay down a vocal track for a new INXS song?

Lo and behold: he is the new lead singer of INXS! When Tim Farriss (after teasing him -- and us -- with a negative-looking expression) revealed that J.D. was right for INXS, my jaw dropped. I realize that troublemakers often do well on reality shows. I figured it was good entertainment having him around until the finale. But I did not think he was going to get the gig!

If I had never seen J.D. before last night, I suppose I wouldn't be surprised. Last night, he seemed to fit right into INXS. When he performed their song "What You Need" with them on stage, he was amazing. He also sounded good performing their new single "Easy Easy" with them at the end of the show. Also, his performance of the Stones classic "You Can't Always Get What You Want" was commanding.

But J.D.'s behavior over the course of the program has got to make people nervous. I hope INXS know what they are doing by taking him on. This band does have a quarter-century of music biz experience behind them. If J.D. can learn from his past mistakes and stay the course, the future can be prosperous for him and INXS. J.D. has gone from being homeless to being the frontman for a world-famous rock band in about three months' time. I hope that he doesn't screw things up for himself or anyone else. The first INXS album with J.D. is now scheduled for a late-November release, and their world tour is set to begin in January. I wish them luck.

As for the other two contestants who performed last night...

I wasn't surprised to see Mig get eliminated first. I had predicted as much before the show began. But his performance of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" truly was a letdown. It was adequate, but I expected much better from someone who had sung the song so many times on stage. Suzie MacNeil's performance during week 8 was more impressive. Still, I've enjoyed watching Mig's performances on the show, and hope to see more of him.

And Marty Casey? The flashbacks we saw of his manic early performances showed how far he has come as a singer and performer. He did well (again) with Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here", and he sounded very good singing "Don't Change" with INXS. I thought for sure that the job was his. But I was wrong. Still, he has obviously made good connections on the show. INXS want him to open for them on their world tour, and Dave Navarro offered to play guitar when Marty records an album. Win-win situation? Time will tell.

It was a nice touch bringing all of the eliminated contestants out for a curtain call. I knew it was coming (Jordis hinted about it when she was eliminated two weeks ago), but it was a good thing to see.

And...according to Brooke Burke's sendoff and the official website, this is only the first season of Rock Star. What band is next? Do we hope or do we fear? I hope future seasons (how ever many there are) are as much fun as this one was.

The show's official site:
http://rockstar.msn.com/

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