|
|
Last night, Barba belted out the hit "Put Your Records" on by Corinne Bailey Rae, to another round of mixed reviews.
Judge Randy Jackson said her performance of the song was "OK," while the usually optimistic Paula Abdul said only that the number was "the right song choice" for Barba, compared to her past picks.
Simon Cowell, however, continued his Barba bashing.
"You’ve gone as far as you can go Antonella," Cowell said of Barba’s progress on the show. "I just wish you could sing better."
Whether or not Cowell’s prediction is correct will be determined tomorrow night when the vote results are tallied and two more women, and two of the men, are eliminated from the show.
Yet again, there was no mention of the Internet scandal surrounding Barba, but Cowell did acknowledge the Jersey contestant had been given a hard time in the media.
Her performance on national television came as the controversy about her widened with the complaint of a past Idol contestant, Frenchie Davis, who contends she was unfairly booted from the show for appearing on an adult Web site. Barba should be punished the same way, Davis said.
But Barba friends and other in Point Pleasant said the pictures of her are simply not as racy as the Davis photos.
Barba, they said, is a good girl who teaches violin to children in town and was known as a singer and actress in her days at Red Bank Catholic High School.
Teresa Principe, a senior at Red Bank Catholic, described Barba as "free spirited, loving, caring [and] enthusiastic." The girls met almost a decade ago and went to grade school and high school together.
"She is always there to help others and never gives up on anything," Principe said.
Principe and Barba met at St. Peter’s Elementary School, and although she hasn’t spoken to Barba recently, their families are close, she said.
"I remember looking up to her when I was in grammar school because she was so nice and caring and beautiful," Principe said. "I have always admired her and always will."
Principe remembers Barba as "always into music and theater" during their high school years; Barba was also a member of the school’s Doo-Wop Choir.
Principe was surprised, however, when she learned Barba had auditioned for "American Idol."
"Once I watched her audition and saw her succeed, I started getting nervous for her," she said. "I’ve always wanted to know someone on ‘American Idol,’ and now I do."
Barba’s family is not speaking to the press at this time.
Despite the circumstances, her Jersey Shore hometown is firmlystanding by her, with signs and flyers to show support.
At Clarizio’s, the local music store just minutes away from Barba’s home on upscale Waterside Court, huge letters encourage customers to vote for Barba.
Barba worked at the music store giving lessons the summer before starting college at the Catholic University of America.
The store’s owner said Clarizio’s was showing its support but declined to comment further.
Barba’s efforts as a music teacher did not go unnoticed by Jacqui Reid, who owns the Purple Iris Flower & Gift Shop. Reid met Barba nearly three years ago when she brought her daughter to Clarizio’s.
"Antonella taught my daughter violin when my little girl was six years old," Reid said. "That’s when I first met Antonella and only knew her through my daughter."
Last July, Barba’s father Vincenzo came into the store to buy flowers, explaining that he needed them for his daughter’s audition, Reid said.
"He said he needed flowers because [someone] was coming to their house to tape an audition because she got through to the first round of American Idol," she said. "I was so happy for him and I said to him, ‘There’s only one Antonella I know. Did she happen to teach violin?’ And he said, ‘Yes.’ And I said ‘Well, she taught my daughter violin.’"
After Barba began rising through the ranks on ‘Idol,’ Reid added "Good Luck Antonella" to the sign outside of her store. Reid has been keeping a close watch on Idol, hoping that Barba makes "to at least the Top 12," she said.
"I’d love to see her do well because she went through high school, she’s going to go to college, she’s got her head screwed on," she said. "Whatever she’s done, that’s her business. If she wants to be on ‘American Idol,’ go for it."
Others have joined the support as well, including Scott Gallagher, who bartends and manages the Idle Hour Bar and Grill in Point Pleasant. When the restaurant’s owner mentioned that his daughter was a big ‘Idol’ fan and was cheering Barba on, Gallagher suggested adding something to the sign outside.
"You should stand by anyone from here," he said. "I’m sure we’ll have a lot of places that will be putting [a sign] up."
Although Gallagher admitted he doesn’tfollow the show, he still supports Barba, he said. On Wednesday nights, the televisions at the bar are always turned to FOX so that customers can cheer their local girl on.
"People want to watch it and everyone’s rooting for her," he said.
Reid attributes the support to Point Pleasant’s small-town mentality, noting similar support when soccer star and Point Pleasant naive Christie Pearce went to the Olympics.
"This is definitely a small town and I think anybody roots for somebody who’s doing well," she said. "You like to see them do well, despite all the nonsense that’s going on. She’s somebody following her dream."
