Though he wasn't given any time to speak and was never acknowledged during the Michael Jackson tribute ceremony in Los Angeles, Dorian Holley might have the biggest resumé of anybody on that stage not named Gordy. Holley, who took the third solo in "We Are The World" during the finale of yesterday's event, has been a backup singer for Jackson for two decades, but his list of credits stretches far and wide. He's toured with Lionel Richie, Queen Latifah, Rod Stewart and James Taylor. He's coached and sang with a cavalcade of stars, from Chris Brown to Usher to Christina Aguilera. And last year he finally released his first solo album Independent Film.
But his most notable contribution to recent musical history has been on "American Idol," where he serves as Associate Musical Director and a vocal coach. Any time a contestant goes from "pretty good" to "exceptional" over the course of the show, it's probably thanks to Holley. He was joined by a number of other exceptional musicians, but Holley's work deserved better than the anonymity he was given. Then again, based on his career, maybe that's exactly how he wanted it.