The premiere episode of Nashville Star introduced us to the host and judges as well as the contestants who were picked to appear this season. The finalists were chosen from thousands, and only the lucky continued. No one was eliminated.

The twelve Nashville Star finalists each had the opportunity to shine as they performed country standards during the first round of competition.

Miranda Lambert:

"Honky Tonk Blues" - Hank Williama

Buddy Jewell:

"Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye" - Eddy Arnold

Brandon Silveira:

"Act Naturally" - Buck Owens

Anne Louise Blythe:

"Poor, Poor Pitiful Me" - Terri Clark

Travis Howard:

"Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain" - Willie Nelson

Brandi Gibson:

"Walking After Midnight" - Patsy Cline

Prentiss Varnon:

"Hey Good Lookin'" - Hank Williams

Amy Chappell :

"Son of a Preacher Man" - Dusty Springfield

Kristen Kissling:

"Heartbreak Hotel" - Elvis Presley

John Arthur Martinez:

"When You Say Nothing At All" - Keith Whitley

Tasha Valentine:

"Your Cheating Heart" - Roy Acuff

Jamey Garner:

"Two More Bottles of Wine" - Emmylou Harris

This week on Nashville Star, we said goodbye to two more contestants and watched 11 amazing performances intended to show us which styles of country music influenced the performers.

Brandon Silveira:

"I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink" - Merle Haggard

Amy Chappell :

"Walk Softly On This Heart of Mine" - Bill Monroe

Brandi Gibson:

"Drinkin' My Baby Goodbye" - The Charlie Daniels Band

John Arthur Martinez:

"Roly Poly" - Bob Wills

Miranda Lambert:

"Texas (When I Die)" - Tanya Tucker

Travis Howard:

"Six Days on the Road" - Dave Dudley

Jamey Garner:

"Rollin' In My Sweet Baby's Arms" - Tammy Wynette and George Jones

Prentiss Varnon:

"Milk Cow Blues" - Bob Wills

Tasha Valentine:

"Little Sister" - Elvis Presley

Buddy Jewell:

"Gimme Three Steps" - Lynyrd Skynyrd

This week on Nashville Star, our contestants proved their mettle and stepped the competition up a notch by performing their original songs.

Brandi Gibson:

"I'm Gonna Make It" - original

Buddy Jewell:

"Help Pour Out the Rain (Lacey's Song)" - original

Miranda Lambert:

"Greyhound Bound for Nowhere" - original

Brandon Silveira:

"Life Don't Get Much Better Than This" - original

John Arthur Martinez:

"Everything I Never Knew I Wanted" - original

Amy Chappell:

"No Turning Back" - original

The American Spirit was alive and well on the Nashville Star stage this week, as each contestant performed a song that he or she felt reflected that spirit. Love of home and family, patriotism, rugged individualism, and hard work were all values expressed in the songs selected, values that together make up the fabric of American society.

Remaining finalists:

"Heartland" - George Strait

Brandon Silveira:

"A Country Boy Can Survive" - Hank Williams, Jr.

Miranda Lambert:

"Fightin' Side of Me" - Merle Haggard

Buddy Jewell:

"40 Hour Week" - Alabama

Brandi Gibson:

"Home" - Joe Diffie

John Arthur Martinez:

"The City of New Orleans" - Arlo Guthrie

This week, we narrowed the field of Nashville Star contestants from five to four, and our four remaining contestants each performed a #1 song (post-1999), as well as an original song they HOPED would be #1 someday.

Remaining finalists/Phil Vassar:

"Just Another Day in Paradise" - Phil Vassar

John Arthur Martinez:

"But for the Grace of God" - Keith Urban

"Home Made of Stone" - original

Brandi Gibson:

"How Do You Like Me Now" - Toby Keith

"Take Her Picture" - original

Buddy Jewell:

"It Must Be Love" - Don Williams/Alan Jackson

"Abeline" - original

Miranda Lambert:

"Somebody Like You" - Keith Urban

"Oh, California" - original

This week on Nashville Star we narrowed the field of contestants from four to three. The show began with a "good luck" greeting from the group Rascal Flatts, live from the stage of their show in Moline, IL, as they kicked off the Brooks and Dunn Neon Circus Tour. Mixed in with the contestants' performances were highlights from their homecoming celebrations last week, along with reflections on how the show has changed their lives.

Miranda Lambert:

"Don't It Make You Wanna Dance" - Rusty Wier/Jerry Jeff Walker

"You and Your Memory" - original

John Arthur Martinez:

"River of Love" - original

"The Man Who Holds the Bow" - original

Buddy Jewell:

"Gentle On My Mind" - Glen Campbell

"One in A Row" - original

The Nashville Star finale had something for everyone - laughter, tears, drama, suspense, celebrity guests, red carpet arrivals, reunions... and of course, the revelation of the first "Nashville Star," based on the results of million of votes cast by you, the television audience!

Miranda Lambert/John Arthur Martinez/Buddy Jewell:

"Next Big Thing" - Vince Gill

Charlie Robison/Tracy Gershon/Robert Oermann

"Right Man For The Job" - Charlie Robison

Miranda Lambert:

"Bye, Bye" - duet with Jo Dee Messina

John Arthur Martinez:

"Nothin' But The Taillights" - duet with Clint Black

"The Armadillo Song" - original

Buddy Jewell:

"(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing" - duet with Trace Adkins

"Abilene" - original

"Help Pour Out the Rain (Lacey's Song)" - original

"I Want to Thank Everyone Who Ever Told Me No" - original