Mikalah Analise Gordon (born January 14, 1988) is an American singer and eleventh-place finalist on the fourth season of American Idol. She was the second finalist eliminated on March 25, 2005.

Early life

Gordon was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, the same city as her American Idol audition. Her mother, Victoria Cavaricci, is Italian American, and her father, Rocky Gordon, is Italian and Jewish. Gordon was raised Catholic and attended St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic School from 3rd to 8th grade. During her formative years Gordon regularly performed on stage with her father, a jazz musician who mentored his daughter, attempting to improve her versatility. Before Idol, she was with the Helen Joy Young Entertainers, sang at the White House, and worked at an oxygen bar.

American Idol

Gordon was eliminated during "Billboard #1 Hits" week, on the March 24 show. This was also the week when the show mixed up the voting numbers for three of the Top 11 contestants, Anwar Robinson, Jessica Sierra and Gordon herself. Her last song on the show was a rendition of "Love Will Lead You Back" by Taylor Dayne.

Week #

Song

Original artist

Result

Top 24

Young Hearts Run Free

Candi Staton

Safe

Top 20

God Bless the Child

Billie Holiday

Safe

Top 16

Somewhere

Cast of West Side Story

Safe

Top 12

Son of a Preacher Man

Dusty Springfield

Bottom 2

Top 11

Love Will Lead You Back

Taylor Dayne

Eliminated

Post American Idol career

Mikalah Gordon returned to American Idol as a host for the pre-show on the series finale of American Idol Season 4 and also sang during the finale in the beginning medley of The Beach Boys songs and later sang in the program with another Idol finalist Lindsey Cardinale and singer Babyface.

Gordon is often compared to actress Fran Drescher, and Bette Midler. She signed a development deal with Warner Bros..

Gordon landed a guest-starring role on Fran Drescher's new sitcom, Living with Fran. She played Fran's cousin Brianna, a Broadway singer. Following an appearance on the February 24, 2006 episode of The Tyra Banks Show, Tyra Banks hired her as a Tyra Show correspondent.

Mikalah was a Co-Host of American Idol Extra for the first 2 seasons. The show gives a behind the scenes look at American Idol after the taping each week.

Mikalah is currently in the early stages of producing an album.

She also released a letter to a blogger stating that much of her experience with American Idol had been under a cloud of severe depression. The letter is posted on her website. Mikalah has stated that she hopes to be an inspiration to young people who deal with depression and life issues.

On August 23, 2006, Mikalah was assaulted in Las Vegas during a robbery at gunpoint at 3:30 a.m near Nellis Boulevard and Washington Avenue. Her mother, Victoria Cavaricci, said "Police said she's so lucky she's alive."

During March 2007, Mikalah along with her cocompetitor Lindsey Cardinale, upcoming country singer Stephen Cochran, and the God warrior Marguerite Perrin, judged the small production of Amateur Idol in the small town of Loranger, Louisiana. Mikalah was a hit with the small town community and frequently visits.

Mikalah appeared on NBC's Identity on April 6, 2007. She posed as an "American Idol Finalist."

Mikalah played Lila Lee, a country singer on a USO tour in Iraq under the watch of The Unit, CBS's military drama, episode "M.P.s" on October 30, 2007. She was at the American Idol finale where she was at David Cook's hometown cheering and talking to the crowd in 2008 and performed the same activities in Kris Allen's hometown in 2009.

Gordon currently lives in Los Angeles, California.

She was a contestant on Gone Country 2, on CMT. During the show, she wrote a song called "You're Ugly When You're Drunk" which she performed in the finale.

Gordon recently finished a brief stint at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center in Lubbock, Texas, as Dorothy, in Todrick Hall's retelling of the Wizard of Oz. Oz, the Musical sold out both nights. She starred alongside Season Two alumni Rickey Smith as the Tinman, and Season 4 Alumni Scott Savol, as the Lion, and Vonzell Solomon, as Glinda/Aunt Em.

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