Who will win 'American Idol'?

Will it be the teenager with the big heart or the teenage heart throb?

The singer with the cork-screw curls or the one with the screwy beat-box style?

Jordin Sparks or Blake Lewis?

One will be named “American Idol” Wednesday on what, after six seasons, is one of the most popular shows on television.

The final showdown is tonight but we’ve gathered a panel of expert judges who have been watching the show since the first “Idol” winner, Kelly Clarkson, faced Randy, Paula and Simon in 2002.

David Bass, Devonia Netcliff and Justin Carteret are all music teachers in Cape Fear region schools as well as performers.

The unanimous consensus is that the 17-year-old Sparks has better pipes. She is their choice to win. But Bass and Netcliff said Lewis’ style and commercial appeal may earn the 25-year-old more votes.

“Blake has a fresh and a specific sound that appeals to a specific demographics,” said Carteret, who has had a brush of “Idol” fame. In 2003, he was the second runner-up at the Fox 50 “American Idol” talent search. “But whatever they give Jordin, she works with it.”
Staff writer Hilary Kraus can be reached at kraush@fayobserver.com or 323-4848, ext. 331.

THE PANEL
David Bass

Judging cred: Vocal music and theater arts teacher at Clinton High School

* Stage cred: Performed more than 25 years with various theater and opera companies and on cruise lines.
* Who he thinks should win: “I would love to see Jordin win. She has a beautiful voice and obvious natural talent. With help, I believe she could have a career that would be long-lived, with record sales to all ages and backgrounds of buyers. And she’s so adorable.”
* Who he thinks will win: “Based on the results of the past year’s winners, I predict Blake will win, to my dismay. With all the cell phones in the hands of teenagers on curfew during the school week, he stands the better chance. Put the show on Friday or Saturday night and the results could be incredibly different.”
Justin Carteret
* Judging cred: Teaches choir, voice, piano, music theory and several other music classes at Gray’s Creek High School.
* Stage cred: Performed at churches as a professional soloist. Competed in Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions, opera competitions and the Fox “Idol” contest. Won numerous vocal competitions.
* Who he thinks should win: “I think (recently ousted) Melinda Doolittle was the strongest singer of the season. However, Jordin has grown so much and has so many more years ahead of her that I think she will surpass Melinda by the time she is her age.”
* Who he thinks will win: “Jordin Sparks will get a lot of the girl votes that were going to Melinda. Definitely next in line is Jordin.”
Devonia Netcliff
* Judging cred: Choral music teacher at Westover High School
* Stage cred: Studied music at Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn., and performed, recorded and toured with a variety of artists.
* Who she thinks should win: “Although both artists need to work on authenticity — performing music as close as possible to the way it was performed when created — I would like to see Jordin win. She’s so young, but already exhibits great musical potential.”
* Who she thinks will win: “Blake Lewis. People vote for the wrong reasons. They should focus on musical ability, individual interpretation, creativity and personality.”

Bass: Cute young guy with a nice voice and fun stage presence. Could probably have good record sales with teenagers. Very “commercial.” However, I don’t believe he will have a long career. There just isn’t enough substance in his voice or his genre of music, and he only does one type of music well.
* Carteret: His distinct nasal sound is what makes him sound young. Blake also has an extraordinary gift for arranging. I also like that he dances and performs for the audience. Although his dancing is a positive, it keeps the audience from realizing that vocally, there’s just not a lot there. He definitely was not the strongest singer of the season. I’m not so sure I like the beat boxing. When I first heard it, I thought it was fresh, but it quickly got old.
* Netcliff: He has a unique voice. It is original. Blake seems comfortable with performing. He also appears to have good interpretation, creativity and the power to communicate with the audience. However, he needs to avoid singing in certain vocal registers. He also needs to work on breathing, word pronunciation, phrasing and intonation.
* Bass: Jordin has huge potential, especially for a 17-year-old. She performs many kinds of music well, and with seasoning, could really have a career. She performs ballads with great stage presence and beautiful vocals. However, she is not as comfortable with pop, upbeat songs. She really has too much voice for most of the songs that teenagers today enjoy. Sometime she’s a little old-fashioned, but that’s probably why I like her. Most of the best voices on “Idol” don’t make it to the end.
* Carteret: She’s very young and has a strong voice and stage presence. She grew the most over the season. Jordin represents an eclectic range of ethnicity. This adds to her interesting vocal style and explains her ability to perform all the different styles of music. It also makes her appealing to multiple audiences.
* Netcliff: Jordin has a beautiful voice and a controlled head voice. She also has good pronunciation of words and phrasing as well as good stage presence and good interpretation. I believe she will have a lasting career. Jordin, however, needs to work on singing high notes without being pitchy.