1973

The **1973** season is the fourteenth regular season of *Jay's Music Search*. It followed the 1972 season and preceded the 1974 season.

Hard rock band Grand Funk Railroad were the winners of the season, becoming the first rock band to win. R&B group The O'Jays finished second, with keyboardist Merl Saunders finishing third, and blues rock band and Team Rivals representative Vinegar Joe coming in fourth.

## New Twist

This season introduced a new twist, which saw three former contestants on the series, who were unhappy with being eliminated in their previous seasons, return for revenge. Rather than compete as contestants again, these three formed a new judging panel, known collectively as "The Rivals".

Once auditions ended, The Rivals had the opportunity to steal eight of the acts Jay put through to the Top 48, to form their own small team of eight. These eight acts would be competing in the Round 2 Battles just like all the others, but the key difference is that The Rivals would be the ones voting on and deciding their fate. Their team of eight would be cut in half come the Round 3 Battles, though they might be able to add more acts to their team at that point. Their ultimate goal is to have whoever is left on their team, end up winning the season.

The Rivals this season, and their reasons for wanting revenge, were:

* Former two-time winner Aretha Franklin, who was unhappy with losing for the first time to Melanie at the end of the 1970 season, only to return the following year and finish in sixth place, her worst placement yet.
* Classical composer Tchaikovsky, who finished in the Top 8 twice but has never made the finale. He felt as though Jay had no respect for classical music.
* Jazz musician and composer Dave Brubeck, who currently holds the record for having been rejected the most times in auditions. Dave realized that most jazz instrumental acts would get eliminated very early on, and like Tchaikovsky, Dave felt that Jay had no respect for his musical style.

# Episodes

## Auditions

The first round consisted of about 100 acts auditioning to make the Top 48 that would move into Round 2.

### Episode 1401

**Accepted:**

* **The Beach Boys**
* **Otis Redding**
* **Merl Saunders**
* **Gilbert O'Sullivan**
* **John Lennon**
* **Curtis Mayfield**
* **Joe Tex**

**Rejected:**

* Paul Butterfield
* Johnnie Taylor
* *Ann Sexton*
* Timmy Thomas
* The Independents
* Dennis Coffey

### Episode 1402

**Accepted:**

* **Billy Paul**
* **Archie Bell & The Drells**
* **Joe Simon**
* **The Dells**
* **The O'Jays**
* **The Main Ingredient**

**Rejected:**

* Candi Staton
* Barbara Mason
* Four Tops
* Al Green
* Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose
* Brighter Side of Darkness

### Episode 1403

**Accepted:**

* **Nat King Cole**
* **Ella Fitzgerald**
* **Wizzard**
* **Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes**
* **The Isley Brothers**
* **Humble Pie**
* **Vicki Lawrence**

**Rejected:**

* Cymande
* James Brown
* Novalis
* Jimmie Rodgers
* Don Covay
* Cuby + Blizzards

### Episode 1404

**Accepted:**

* **Edith Piaf**
* **Elvis Presley**
* **America**
* **Alice Cooper**
* **The Ghana Soul Explosion**
* **David Gates**
* **Grand Funk Railroad**

**Rejected:**

* Chet Atkins
* Frumpy
* Back Door
* Stan Kenton
* The Temptations

### Episode 1405

**Accepted:**

* **Dolly Parton**
* **Adriano Celentano**
* **Frédéric François**
* **Uriah Heep**
* **Herman's Hermits**
* **Gladys Knight and the Pips**

**Rejected:**

* The Osmonds
* Ray Charles
* Black Oak Arkansas
* Bing Crosby
* Ofege
* Max Morath
* Toots Thielemans

### Episode 1406

**Accepted:**

* **Livin' Blues**
* **Jimmy Rushing**

**Rejected:**

* Pink Floyd
* Jimmy Reed
* Charles Brown
* Joe Turner
* B. B. King
* Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson
* Earl Hooker
* Clifford Coulter
* Otis Spann
* Brownie McGhee & Sonny Terry

### Episode 1407

**Accepted:**

* **Vinegar Joe**
* **War**
* **Doug Sahm with The Sir Douglas Quintet**
* **Marie Laforêt**
* **Doug Kershaw**
* **Joe Cocker**
* **Jackson Heights**
* **Jan Hammarlund**

**Rejected:**

* Herbie Hancock
* The Temptations (second chance)
* Léo Ferré
* Donald Byrd
* Procol Harum

### Episode 1408

**Accepted:**

* **Derek & The Dominos**
* **Neil Diamond**
* **The Buffoons**
* **Shocking Blue**

**Rejected:**

* Roy Buchanan
* Bing Crosby (second chance)
* Ray Price
* Brother Ah
* Milt Jackson
* Roger McGuinn
* The Ramsey Lewis Trio
* Wilson Pickett

## Round 2 Battles

As only 47 of the 48 needed acts made it through auditions, one act was brought back as an audition wildcard to fill out the 48. That act was Ann Sexton.

As part of the new twist, The Beach Boys, Joe Simon, The Isley Brothers, David Gates, Uriah Heep, Jimmy Rushing, Jackson Heights, and Shocking Blue were the first eight acts stolen onto Team Rivals.

The battles in the round are listed below, with the winners being in bold. Battle losers in italics received saves and also moved on. Only eight saves were available to give away in this round.

### Episode 1409

* **Adriano Celentano** vs *Alice Cooper*
* America vs **Ann Sexton**
* Archie Bell & The Drells vs **Billy Paul**
* **Curtis Mayfield** vs *Derek & The Dominos*
* **Dolly Parton** vs Doug Kershaw

**Team Rivals:**

* David Gates vs **Jackson Heights**

### Episode 1410

* Doug Sahm with The Sir Douglas Quintet vs **Edith Piaf**
* *Ella Fitzgerald* vs **Elvis Presley**
* **Frédéric François** vs Gilbert O'Sullivan
* *Gladys Knight and the Pips* vs **Grand Funk Railroad**
* **Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes** vs Herman's Hermits

**Team Rivals:**

* Jimmy Rushing vs **Joe Simon**

### Episode 1411

* Humble Pie vs **Jan Hammarlund**
* Joe Cocker vs **Joe Tex**
* **John Lennon** vs Livin' Blues
* *Marie Laforêt* vs **Merl Saunders**
* **Nat King Cole** vs *Neil Diamond*

**Team Rivals:**

* Shocking Blue vs **The Beach Boys**

### Episode 1412

* Otis Redding vs **The Buffoons**
* *The Dells* vs **The Ghana Soul Explosion**
* The Main Ingredient vs **The O'Jays**
* Vicki Lawrence vs **Vinegar Joe**
* **War** vs *Wizzard*

**Team Rivals:**

* The Isley Brothers vs **Uriah Heep**

## Round 3 Battles

At the start of this round, The Rivals stole four more acts onto their team: Dolly Parton, Ella Fitzgerald, Neil Diamond, and Vinegar Joe.

The battles in the round are listed below, with the winners being in bold. This time, increasing the number from past seasons, six saves were available to give away in this round.

### Episode 1413

* *Adriano Celentano* vs **Ann Sexton**
* **Alice Cooper** vs *Billy Paul*
* **Curtis Mayfield** vs Edith Piaf
* **Derek & The Dominos** vs *Elvis Presley*
* **Frédéric François** vs Gladys Knight and the Pips

**Team Rivals:**

* Dolly Parton vs **Ella Fitzgerald**

### Episode 1414

* **Grand Funk Railroad** vs Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
* **Jan Hammarlund** vs *Joe Tex*

**Team Rivals:**

* Jackson Heights vs **Joe Simon**

### Episode 1415

* **John Lennon** vs *Marie Laforêt*
* **Merl Saunders** vs Nat King Cole
* **The Buffoons** vs *The Dells*
* The Ghana Soul Explosion vs **War**
* **The O'Jays** vs Wizzard

**Team Rivals:**

* Neil Diamond vs **The Beach Boys**
* Uriah Heep vs **Vinegar Joe**

## Top 24

At the start of this round, The Rivals stole two more acts onto their team: Elvis Presley and Joe Tex.

Two Team Rivals battle losers from the previous two rounds returned as wildcards for this round: Dolly Parton and Jackson Heights.

The Top 24 were split into four groups of six (the fourth being entirely comprised of Team Rivals). Three from each group advanced and made it into the Top 12.

### Episode 1416

**Advanced:**

* **Alice Cooper** (1st)
* **Adriano Celentano** (2nd)
* **Ann Sexton** (3rd)

**Eliminated:**

* Billy Paul
* Curtis Mayfield
* Derek & The Dominos

### Episode 1417

**Advanced:**

* **Jackson Heights** (1st)
* **Grand Funk Railroad** (2nd)
* **Frédéric François** (3rd)

**Eliminated:**

* Dolly Parton
* Jan Hammarlund
* John Lennon

### Episode 1418

**Advanced:**

* **The O'Jays** (1st)
* **Merl Saunders** (2nd)
* **The Dells** (3rd)

**Eliminated:**

* Marie Laforêt
* The Buffoons
* War

### Episode 1419

The six acts on Team Rivals competed in this episode, with The Rivals deciding which three acts moved on.

**Advanced:**

* **Elvis Presley** (1st)
* **The Beach Boys** (2nd)
* **Vinegar Joe** (3rd)

**Eliminated:**

* Ella Fitzgerald
* Joe Simon
* Joe Tex

## Top 12

In this round, ten acts moved forward, and two were eliminated (one from Jay's Top 8, and one from Team Rivals).

### Episode 1420

**Advanced (Jay's Top 8):**

* **Ann Sexton**
* **Grand Funk Railroad**
* **Adriano Celentano**
* **Merl Saunders**
* **The O'Jays**
* **Jackson Heights** (bottom 3)
* **Alice Cooper** (bottom 2)

**Eliminated:**

* Frédéric François

**Advanced (Team Rivals):**

* **Elvis Presley**
* **The Dells**
* **Vinegar Joe**

**Eliminated:**

* The Beach Boys

## Top 10

In this round, eight acts moved forward, and two were eliminated (one from Jay's Top 7, and one from Team Rivals).

### Episode 1421

**Advanced (Jay's Top 7):**

* **Grand Funk Railroad**
* **Ann Sexton**
* **Merl Saunders**
* **Adriano Celentano**
* **The O'Jays** (bottom 3)
* **Jackson Heights** (bottom 2)

**Eliminated:**

* Alice Cooper

**Advanced (Team Rivals):**

* **Elvis Presley**
* **Vinegar Joe**

**Eliminated:**

* The Dells

## Top 8

In this round, four acts moved into the finale (three from Jay's Top 6, and one from Team Rivals), and the other four were eliminated.

### Episode 1422

**Advanced (Jay's Top 6):**

* **Grand Funk Railroad**
* **The O'Jays**
* **Merl Saunders** (middle 2)

**Eliminated:**

* Jackson Heights
* Ann Sexton
* Adriano Celentano (middle 2)

**Advanced (Team Rivals):**

* **Vinegar Joe**

**Eliminated:**

* Elvis Presley

## Finals

This was the final round of the competition, in which the final four all performed three final times, before the winner was decided.

### Episode 1423

* **Winner: GRAND FUNK RAILROAD**
* **2nd place: The O'Jays**
* **3rd place: Merl Saunders**
* **4th place: Vinegar Joe**