‘Idol' contender ‘hitting his stride'
‘Idol' contender Stacey ‘hitting his stride'

By Matthew Price

Published: April 24, 2007

With "American Idol” narrowing its contestants to the final six, one-third have ties to the Sooner State.

Melinda Doolittle graduated from Tulsa Union High School, and Phil Stacey lived briefly in Shawnee.

"I think Phil is hitting his stride right at the right time,” Stacey's father-in-law, Mark McIntosh, said in a recent phone interview.

Although Stacey lives in Jacksonville, Fla., the U.S. Navy band singer's wife, Kendra, is from Shawnee, where her father, McIntosh, is pastor of the Evangelic Center Church. Stacey lived in Oklahoma for about six months before going into Navy boot camp.

"We're watching his two daughters right now, and we've watched one or the other since it started,” McIntosh said. "It's been a little hectic that way, but it's been a great joy.”

Stacey, who is a petty officer third class in the Navy, missed the birth of his second daughter, who was born three weeks early, while he was auditioning for "American Idol” in Memphis, Tenn.

Despite some critical remarks from judge Simon Cowell, McIntosh thinks Stacey is in a good position going into the final six.

"They kind of panned him, but he's the one that's stuck around as everyone else is going home. I think he may have turned a corner.”

McIntosh said Stacey's strength is as a rock singer.

While McIntosh said following his son-in-law on "American Idol” has been difficult, it's also been rewarding.

"It's been a very stressful deal, because it's kind of a mind game, week-to-week, on the one hand, but it's a stress that you don't want to go away.”

The show airs at 7 p.m. today on Fox.