LeAnn Rimes as Connie Francis

Editor’s Note: Although some of the viewer responses were lukewarm regarding LeAnn’s performance, I give her high praise for taking the time and effort to perform as one of her idols.

Some of the viewers responses (from the yahoogroups mailing list):

• Well I thought it was just great, LeAnn did a wonderful job.The show doesn’t try to be authentic, it just trys to play on everyone’s memories. So I really enjoyed those 3-4 minutes.

• I thought it was nice of someone so young and popular to honor Connie. I really don’t think LeAnn would have done it if she wasn’t a fan. We really shouldn’t be critical of her, it’s not an emmy/oscar award performance, it was very sweet.

• I think the sound was pretty good, except that at midpoint during the vibrato, I heard LeAnn’s country sound* emerge.
  *Editor’s Note: Some regard Connie as a country singer, even Connie herself said, “there are millions who can’t live without a country song and I’m one of them.”

Various media sites:

LeAnn Rimes appear as Connie Francis on NBC, March 30
See http://www.nbc.com/American_Dreams.

LeAnn Rimes Plays Her American Idol
from http://www.tvguide.com/newsgossip/insider/030307a.asp
Singer LeAnn Rimes is a devotress of country music’s great ladies, like Patsy Cline and Tammy Wynette. On March 30, she’ll guest star on NBC’s American Dreams as another one of her childhood idols, Connie Francis. Natch, she’ll sing “Where the Boys Are.”

NBC prepares for change by 2003 Houston Chronicle
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/headline/entertainment/1740832