APR. 20, 2006

YOU WILL OFTEN SAY TO THE CONTESTANTS, "WHAT IS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND RIGHT NOW?" WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR MIND AFTER THE SHOW?

One of the first things I do right after leaving the stage is I take my high heel shoes off! Maybe it's an homage to Shy Blakeman, maybe it's just the thrill of getting my comfortable slippers on and hanging with my friends backstage. I think my feet hurt at the end of every show because I have so much fun with Troy dancing on stage.

Speaking of Troy, I continue to be thrilled to be working with him. He is just so wonderful and professional. His wife made me a belt buckle last night. It's gorgeous. These guys are family to me.

I always make a special effort to make certain he knows how grateful I am to be working with him. Last night, we hung out in the dressing room for a long time. He is the real deal.

Patti LaBelle, my beautiful sister of soul. I love her. She just rocks my universe. And I think she and Oprah have crushes on my husband. I will admit, he IS the cutest thing ever. Last night, Patti asked me to sing on her next record. She's so dear and sweet -- I can't wait to get started.

As for my friend, Jared Ashley, it was incredibly sad for me to see him go. I know personally how hard he has worked. He has a lot to offer the world, and I'm thrilled that he has so many opportunities waiting on him.

His heart was heavy last night. The rejection is hard, because we're all winners. But sometimes, your single doesn't go to No. 1 or your albums don't go multi-platinum. We learn more about ourselves when we don't win than when we do.

Jared Ashley is a winner. He's seeing how hard this business can be. I have no doubt we will be watching him skyrocket.

I really love giving Chris Young a hard time, he's like my brother. He is so cute! I get a real kick out of how he plays up to the girls in the audience. They're all swooning.

It's my job to be real with him, but I only do it out of love. I think he's a real star and as I said in the studio with him, I really appreciate that he gives so much back to the fans. I like surprising him and to watch how his eyes light up when I catch him off guard. He's a blessing.

I continue to enjoy working with Nicole Jamrose, too. What the rest of the world didn't see because the TV cameras weren't on last night was the group hug between Jared and Nicole and me.

This isn't easy. I am having a hard time, honestly, because I care so much about all of these contestants. I'm very emotional and I get caught up in the drama of the show. Sometimes, I have a hard time focusing because I AM SO CONCERNED about who is leaving. I'm more emotionally attached than ever before.

It's hard to stand there knowing that one of my beloveds are about to hit the bricks. It weighs heavy on my heart.

I'm thrilled to watch Casey Rivers and Matt Mason shine, too. This final four: Wow. They are beyond impressive. Their song choices, their performances, their work ethic ... they are blowing my mind.

They get to go home this week to their hometowns. They are all looking forward to that. I wish I could go and hold their hands and watch the world through their eyes. There has never been a more exciting time for them than this.

So, I find that my mind is usually racing after the show about the things I did wrong. I want to be such a light for them. My heart is usually heavy. I love these contestants more than they'll ever know.

I go home and start thinking about how I can't wait to come back to work the next week to watch them chase their dreams. And boy do they dream big.

It reminds me of that Judds song ... "I'm a dreamchaser, star gazer, that's what I am. And I've always known, that I'd come back home, when I found my rainbow's end."

Stay with us, America. Two weeks to go and surprises galore. And my sister comes next week. I couldn't be more thrilled!

Past Entries:

• (4/14) As an artist, how do you handle being judged by both the public and industry professionals?
• (4/6) Would you have the courage to enter a competition like Nashville Star? What would your strategy be?
• (3/30) You've hosted three shows now, what has surprised you most about your role as host? What do you like and dislike?
• (3/23) When you watch the finalists, are there moments that you're reminded of your own early beginnings?
• (3/15) What did you think of the first show and how hard is it to see someone get eliminated?
• (3/9) Now that You've Met the Contestants, What's Your Outlook for the New Season?
• (2/17) Why are You Excited About the New Season?