Season 9's 'American Idol' runner-up Crystal Bowersox touched America's hearts on Tuesday, May 25 with her rendition of Patty Griffin's 'Up to the Mountain.' Using only acoustic guitar and her raw, Janis Joplin vocals, Bowersox connected with Griffin's soulful lyrics, which were inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous 1968 speech, 'I've Been to the Mountaintop.'
Ellen DeGeneres, Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell all praised her performance. "This is what this show is about," Jackson stated. "An amazing song by an amazing singer. I'm telling you what, I'm so proud of you, man. This is one of the greatest performances and one of your best moments at the perfect time on this show."
Kelly Clarkson performed the tune back in 2007 for the 'Idol Gives Back' charity event, accompanied by Jeff Beck (who has also performed numerous times with soul singer Joss Stone). To hear Bowersox's first single, tune into AOL Radio's Pop Idols station.
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