Vanessa Lengies - November 19, 2004

Here are some of the highlights from the Interview.

Raul: We’re halfway through the third season, how does it feel?

Vanessa Lengies: It feels great. We are having a blast just like we’ve had every other year if not – more fun. And the story lines are getting more exciting, and of course there’s just a lot more happening in the late sixties than there was in the mid sixties so, just out of history. There’s more going on in the show and it’s got more flava to it this year.

Raul: And some great musical guests, we had Fantasia today.

Vanessa Lengies: Today it’s Fantasia, and you know, I haven’t been an avid watcher of American Idol, even though I have seen it on several occasions. But I heard about Fantasia and I always saw her in interviews and she looked really wonderful and I didn’t know how wonderful. She’s doing a hard song, Respect by Aretha Franklin and come on. Who doesn’t love Aretha? Nobody can beat Aretha, but she kicks butt. It’s unbelievable. She does such a good job not just with the voice, but with the attitude and the dance moves, and everything. She’s just got charisma, she just like radiates this great energy and she does an amazing version of Aretha’s song. And I’m really happy that that happened because Aretha’s one of my favorite sixties performers.

I like the music, I didn’t know very much about the sixties. I’m from Montreal and we don’t have much history in the sixties. More seventies and eighties than sixties. So I didn’t know about the sixties but I love the music and this show is just an opportunity for to put faces with the great songs I love. It’s funny how kids today will know every word to an oldie tune, to a great oldie. But this show, now we put a face to them and a story behind them and we show what they were and how people can see the similarities from yesterday to today. I know so much more about the sixties now. The show is a history lesson and it’s also entertaining, and it’s a good family show. I like the sixties a lot more now that I’m on the show.