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The Next: Finale

Posted 10/4/2012 at 4:16 PM | By Cricket Community

THE NEXT” IS CHOSEN — In the live two-hour finale, the five remaining finalists converge on Los Angeles’ Orpheum Theatre to represent their city and to compete for the big prize - a recording contract with Atlantic Records. Music icons Joe Jonas, Gloria Estefan, John Rich and Nelly were on hand to announce the winner of “The Next.

 

To get the latest news and updates for The Next and Cricket, as well as musical updates from Gloria Estefan, Joe Jonas, John Rich and Nelly, follow Cricket on Facebook and Twitter. And don’t forget to check back here every week for episode highlights and videos of each week’s performances, as your favorite contestants work towards earning a spot in the live finale of The Next!

The Contestants

Michael Ray

Age: 24 Hometown: Eustis, FL

In Week 1 of the Next, John Rich got comfortable in Michael Ray’s personal space, all while giving him the tools he needed for an unforgettable performance of “Springsteen” made famous by Eric Church.  This led to Michael being crowned the winner of Week 1, and earning him a spot in the Semi-Finals.

 

Congratulations to Michael, the fan favorite from the online vote!

 

Jordan Baird

Age: 21 Hometown: Gainesville, VA

In Week 2, Joe Jonas eased Jordan’s nerves with a game of basketball, prepping him for his star-studded performance of Gavin DeGraw’s “Not Over You”, taking Jordan to the first round of the Semi-Finals.

 

Ali Brustofski

Age: 18 Hometown: Oakland, NJ

In Week 3, Ali scored whole-hearted coaching from the one and only Gloria Estefan who surprised Ali at a nail salon. She gave a crowd-pleasing show with her rendition of Miley Cryus’ song “When I Look At You”. This pushed Ali into the ranks to join the other winning contestants in the Semi-Finals.

 

Iliana

Age: 23 Hometown: Glenview, IL

In Week 4, the Next scored big with Iliana’s performance of Adele’s “Set Fire to the Rain” at Chicago’s Vic Theatre. That, coupled with her duet with coach Gloria Estefan at the Chicago Cubs game, carried Iliana to round one of the Semi-Finals in Los Angeles.

 

Ashley Kimbrae

Age: 26 Hometown: Dallas, TX

In Week 5, Nelly made a motivational tape for Ashley, helping her reach her fullest potential by singing Jessie J’s song “Price Tag” at the Majestic Theatre in Dallas. Ashley’s execution of the song impressed the judges and the audience, leading her to the Semi-Finals with the other winning contestants.

 

Krystle Cruz

Age:24 Hometown: San Diego, CA

In Week 6, Nelly made Krystal change her song to better showcase her vocal ability, leading her to sing the winning performance of Jessie J’s hit “Mamma Knows Best”.  Krystle rounded out the group of Semi-Finalists, who will be performing this week in Los Angeles.