When Longview resident Mike Aemmer sees his second cousin, Blake Lewis, at their family's annual Thanksgiving gathering, they should have plenty to talk about.
Such as how life's been treating the 25-year-old Bothell, Wash., beatboxing hipster since America voted him into the Top 2 of the "American Idol" finals. And maybe -- cross your fingers -- what it's like to be named the next American Idol.
We'll find out tonight, when America's top choice is revealed in a two-hour finale at 8 p.m. on Fox TV.
Aemmer, a 62-year-old retired R.A. Long High School science teacher, is naturally pulling for Lewis, who is "my dad's sister's kid's kid," as Aemmer put it. Tuesday evening, he and his wife, Judy, settled down in front of their TV to watch their young relative face off against Jordin Sparks, a 17-year-old Arizona beauty with a powerful voice and impressive vocal range.
Aemmer's job is to record the show. His wife's job is to phone in their vote for Lewis --- and then hit "redial" again and again. They've gone to great lengths not to miss any Idol episodes, even while traveling in Mexico and Vancouver, B.C.. And no matter where they go, people get excited when Aemmer tells them he's Blake Lewis' cousin.
The Aemmers think Lewis has a 50-50 chance of winning. Sparks has a better voice, but in terms of exciting an audience, Lewis is by far the better entertainer, said Aemmer, who doesn't usually recognize the songs Lewis adapts to his signature risk-taking style.
Even as a small boy, Lewis was a ham, said Aemmer, who now sees him only once a year for Thanksgiving dinner in Bellingham. "I remember Blake being a little show-off you couldn't turn off," Aemmer said fondly. "As a little kid, he and the cousins would get together and gather around the piano. ... He'd be sitting there even after the audience left because he was real interested in music and performing."
He sang all the time, "in the shower, outside ... it's been his passion all his life," Aemmer said. "This is not something new for him. It's been something he's always practiced, always loved. It's kind of a natural progression for him."
Their extended family is super stoked about Lewis' "American Idol" journey and plans to reunite at the Top-10 Idol finalists' concert at the Tacoma Dome on July 27.
"It's been kind of a vicarious trip," Aemmers said. "It's been fun."
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