Photo GalleryMeet American Idol's Top 20!

The first cuts have been made: Now get to know Melinda Doolittle, Chris Richardson and the rest of the Idol Class of 2007

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MELINDA DOOLITTLE, 29

Brentwood, Tenn.
The ex-backup singer for CeCe Winans and Aaron Neville has a growing fan base. "She recently opened her MySpace page and saw over 700 messages," says Tiffany Wills, a friend since junior high. And Winans has no trouble seeing why: "She's a standout," says the gospel star. "She'd be an excellent role model."

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Updated: Friday Feb 23, 2007 | 06:00 AM EST

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