It struck me, while I was kicking myself for crediting an Idol tryout performance of to Alicia Keys rather than its originator, Donny Hathaway (thanks, Ashley; I was moving a little too fast yesterday), how Hathaway has become something of an Idol icon all of a sudden. A lot of the Idol aspirants we talked to planned to do Hathaway songs (or songs associated with Hathaway, such as , which is actually, if you recall lengthy discussion threads earlier in the year, a Leon Russell song). The most telling anecdote was the auditioner who'd planned to sing , but noticed someone at the next table singing it and quickly switched (to another Idol beacon, Stevie Wonder).
Have to credit Elliott for Hathaway's coronation, I think; Elliott probably wasn't the first Idol ever to sing a Hathaway song, but he certainly gave him big props when he sang on the show and continues to do so. Hathaway has long been an object of extreme cultish devotion among R B fans; Elliott's homage may belatedly give him a well-deserved broader audience.
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