Dancing With The Stars Recap - Season 14, Week 3

By Megan Sayers on April 3, 2012

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Did you watch Dancing with the Stars last night? Cue the waterworks, because it's Personal Story week!

Our contestants were challenged to reveal emotional moments in their lives through song and dance, and the stars certainly rose to the occasion.

Here's a quick recap:

Last year at a concert, Jack Wagner learned he had a daughter that he never knew about. He shared how Kerry became part of his family and made me tear up a little bit in the process. He performed a samba to one of his songs that she liked. Solid scores from the judges, solid place in my heart.

Maria Menounos paid tribute to her Greek immigrant parents, who worked hard to provide for their family. She would help them clean nightclubs, and when she found a quarter on the floor, would blast Madonna's "Material Girl." She did a sexy rumba version of the song and set the Twittersphere buzzing wondering whether she and partner Derek Hough actually kissed. (They declined to comment.)

The always lovely Gladys Knight performed to Sam Cooke’s “Cupid," marking 1957, which was the year of her first national tour with the Pips. While the choreography was a little light, the dance was so fluid and elegant - it's hard to criticize. Len asks if he can be a Pip. Gladys agrees.

Roshon Fegan does a Michael Jackson number, because MJ is his idol and he first saw him in concert back in his "special year" of 1996. He decides to perform a Jackson Five routine from the '70s (you know, before he was born). I still can't take him seriously, even though he's probably one of the better dancers this season.

This week in hat, Gavin DeGraw chose Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind" in tribute to 1998, the year he moved to New York to follow his dreams. He tears up while talking about the support of his family - super sweet. He performed a strong rumba and choked up again in the Skybox.

The most emotional moment of the night was Katherine Jenkins, who danced a beautiful waltz to a Josh Groban song in honor of her who father died in 1996 from lung cancer. Everyone is in tears - Katherine, pro Peta Murgatroyd, Carrie Ann. It was truly the most touching number I've seen in the history of the show. Jenkins gets nearly perfect scores that are well-deserved.

Sherri Shepherd talked about her miracle baby boy Jeffrey, who was born at 25 weeks weighing less than 2 pounds. She showed her serious side with a nice rumba that was full of emotion.

Apparently Melissa Gilbert broke her back in 2010, while rehearsing for a musical version of "Little House on the Prairie" that I did not know existed. Wearing a sparkly purple ice-skating costume, she ~~ruined~~ performed to one of my favorite Florence and the Machine songs. Pairing jive choreography to "The Dog Days are Over" proves beyond a shadow of the doubt that she does not get it. Everything about this number was tragic and wrong.

Jaleel White shared the most memorable year of his life - when he played Steve Urkel's cool alter ego Stefan Urquelle. Ok, whatever. His rumba to Babyface’s “For the Cool in You" left me a little, well, cold.

This was the week that William Levy's shirt came off and ladies everywhere rejoiced. He talked about moving to America from Cuba in 1995, after his stepfather was granted political asylum and then performed the hottest salsa ever. There is nothing this man cannot make look good, including a bandana/hat combo. Second highest scores of the night.

Rounding out the evening, Donald Driver breaks our hearts all over again with a moving story about losing his best friend (the man who introduced Donald to his wife) to cancer in 2010. He danced a sultry rumba that Carrie-Ann deemed “mesmerizing.”

Here's the leaderboard for Week 3:

Katherine Jenkins and Mark Ballas: 29

William Levy and Cheryl Burke: 28

Maria Menounos and Derek Hough: 27

Donald Driver and Peta Murgatroyd: 26

Roshon Fegan and Chelsie Hightower: 25

Jaleel White and Kym Johnson: 25

Sherri Shepherd and Val Chmerkovskiy: 24

Jack Wagner and Anna Trebunskaya: 24

Gladys Knight and Tristan MacManus: 24

Gavin DeGraw and Karina Smirnoff: 24

Melissa Gilbert and Maks Chmerkovskiy: 24