Melinda Marie Doolittle (born on October 6, 1977) is an American singer who finished as the third place finalist on the sixth season of the popular singing contest American Idol. Prior to her appearance on American Idol, Doolittle worked as a professional backup singer for various artists including Michael McDonald, Kirk Franklin, Aaron Neville, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Alabama, Jonny Lang, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, and Annointed, among others.
Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Melinda considers Brentwood, Tennessee, her home. She graduated from Belmont University,
where on May 2007 a street was dedicated in her name. Although she did not win the title of American Idol,
her outstanding and consistent performances made her the favorite among millions
of viewers, as well as in the media. In an exclusive interview with
Good Morning America, judge Simon Cowell stated that the season
six title of American Idol should have rightfully gone to
Melinda.
Writer Stephen Holden of The New York Times described her as a “phenomenally gifted, stylistically adroit […] Gladys Knight-Tina Turner hybrid [who] brings a compelling honesty to every phrase she sings,” and predicted a successful post-Idol career for her.
After the show’s finale, Melinda took center stage as one of the stars of the American Idols Live Tour 2007, along with her fellow contestants from the top ten of the popular television show. With shows in dozens of cities, the tour gave Melinda the opportunity to perform both solo and group numbers. The curtain closed on the tour in late September of 2007, but that was only the beginning of Melinda’s journey. On October 23rd, she performed at “Learning 2007,” a conference held at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Conference attendees pledged $25,000 to Malaria No More, a charitable organization with which Melinda is actively involved.
November 2007 was a particularly busy and incredibly rewarding month for the talented singer. On November 3rd, Melinda was recognised by CNN as their “Young Person of the Week.” More information on the cable station’s weekly interview series, as well as their story about Melinda, is available here. On the same day, Melinda and fellow Idol finalist Phil Stacey performed at “An Evening with Scott Hamilton and Friends,” an event designed to raise money for cancer research. Melinda and Phil had the opportunity to showcase their extraordinary talent and provide musical accompaniment for the figure skaters who took part in the ice show. As the figure skaters glided across the ice, Melinda’s powerful voice soared throughout the arena. The very next day, Melinda had the honor of singing the National Anthem at a Tennessee Titans football game, an opportunity that she also had at the next week’s game.
Melinda’s talent and dedication took center stage in her first solo concert, held in Franklin,
Tennessee on November 9th. Held at the Boiler Room, the hour and a half long concert featured
full length performances of songs that Melinda sang on American Idol, as well a beautiful
rendition of Amazing Grace and a musical skit that featured actors from the theater itself.
Melinda’s fans traveled not only from all around the country, but all around the world, to be in
attendance at this very special and meaningful show. Melinda’s extraordinary month continued on
November 13th, when she was invited to sing at the White House at a ceremony hosted by former
Secretary of State Colin Powell to honor Laura Bush. The talented singer once again charmed everyone
with her incredible talent and her genuine personality.
Melinda embarked on her second national concert tour, sharing the stage with singer Michael W. Smith and the group The Katinas, in the It’s A Wonderful Christmas tour that ran from late November through late December of 2007. This show afforded Melinda the opportunity to sing both alone and with the other performers with whom she was touring. Her performances embodied the true spirit of the holiday season, bringing happiness and enjoyment to everyone in attendance. Melinda will also join Michael W. Smith on his Michael W. Smith & Friends Caribbean cruise in July of 2008. Guests on the cruise will have the opportunity to travel to locations such as Cozumel and Jamaica, all the while listening to spectacular concerts put on by all the performers on the ship, including Melinda. Tickets for the cruise are still available and can be purchased by going to www.michaelwsmith.com.
Melinda helped people nationwide ring in the Christmas holiday when she hosted the nationally
syndicated Christmas at Belmont, broadcast on local PBS stations on Christmas Eve of 2007.
Filmed at the talented singer’s alma mater, the program featured a plethora of holiday performances,
as well as a look into the university and its programs. Melinda not only hosted the musical portion
of the show, but the more informational parts, as well. The holiday program also featured three stunning
performances by Melinda herself.
The new year is off to a bright and exciting start for the talented singer. Melinda was invited to perform at a Martin Luther King Day tribute that honored the civil rights activist. The event, which took place in Minneapolis and was broadcast on local television, featured a magnificent solo performance by Melinda. She also took part in a group rendition of “Happy Birthday”. Melinda also took part in Idol winner Jordin Sparks’ charity gala, held in Arizona on January 30th. Her performance of “I’m A Woman” elicited both cheers and smiles from the large crowd of attendees. February will also prove to be a milestone month for Melinda, with the release of her studio version of “My Funny Valentine” on iTunes. Melinda also had the opportunity to perform for fifty wounded United States soldiers, bringing a smile to their faces and a song to their hearts. The event, held at the U.S. Naval Observatory, featured several performances by Melinda, including “Home” and “My Funny Valentine.” Additionally, Melinda sang at a benefit for St. Jude’s, held in Franklin, Tennessee. The talented singer performed “Natural Woman,” “I Will Survive,” and “I Wish.” The rhythmic and upbeat songs were crowd favorites, and Melinda happily stayed after the concert to sign autographs for enthusiastic fans.
From February through April of 2008, Melinda embarked on a third nationwide tour, this time in conjunction with a promotional event for Dreyers’ Ice Cream. Along with fellow Idol alum Chris Richardson, Melinda took part in the company’s American Idol promotion. She appeared on the company’s website as part of their “slow churned American Idol,” and took part in an accompanying nationwide tour. As part of this tour, Melinda will had a “meet and greet” in each city, giving her the opportunity to sign autographs, take pictures, and talk with her fans. Melinda will also hosted an “ice cream party” and private concert at the home of a contest winner in each city.
Melinda took center stage at a benefit concert in Reno, Nevada on May 10th. She performed six songs, including “I’ve Got Rhythm,” “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart,” and “Be Blessed,” along with an encore of “I Believe in You and Me.” The talented singer stayed after the event to sign autographs and take pictures, and it was clear that she had made quite the impression on the benefit concert’s attendees.
The benefit concert wasn’t Melinda’s only contribution to charitable endeavors in the recent months. From June 2nd through June 6th of this year, Melinda participated in the president’s delegation to the 8th Leon H. Sullivan Summit in Arusha, Tanzania. Melinda joined, among others, U.S. Ambassador Mark Green and Jendayi Frazer, the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, in the delegation that was led by Dirk Kempthorne, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. Designed to build and strengthen economic and cultural ties between the United States and Africa, the trip was yet another opportunity for Melinda to contribute to a charitable endeavor close to her heart.
Melinda’s Birthday Video
On June 28th of this year, Melinda had the chance to perform at a local charity event in the Chicago area, once again demonstrating her compassion for others. The Sinai Health Institute’s 15 Years of Going the Distance gala celebrated the hospital and the work it does, while simultaneously acting as a kick-off event for the institute’s Bound for Glory mentoring program, designed to partner NFL alumni with at-risk youth in the area. The cause is one very important to Melinda, and it was her pleasure to perform at the event.
Melinda’s Birthday Video
As Melinda reaches her next birthday, we have a video which looks back over the year to see what she has done. Enjoy.
Melinda has recently signed with MPCA, an independent record label founded in 2006. She plans to release three albums over the next year, bringing a multitude of beautiful music to her fans. The first album will be released in January 2009 and will feature Melinda’s take on a variety of songs. The single from that Album has just been released to radio - we have a sneak preview here.
Sneak Preview
The future is bright for this very special shining superstar as Melinda continues along her wonderful career journey and continues to inspire a multitude of people along the way.