Hollywood (2/12/08)

It's Hollywood Week!! The New, and possibly Improved, version! This year we find out that no one will be cut at all in the first two days. Also, contestants are allowed to play instruments. Also, unfortunately, there will be no group round. :-( I understand that part was less relevant to the competition, but it was always one of my favorite parts, so I'll miss it.

The first round will be solos - no standing on stage in lines & stepping forward to sing (until Day 3, anyway). If you're really good and get at least 2 "Yesses" from the judges, you have an automatic pass to Day 4. Otherwise you come back on Day 3 for your "2nd chance." It wasn't obvious which result everyone got, but I'll list what we did see... Also I'll just do names and songs for those we've seen before, but if you want more info (audition city, etc.) lmk in the comments. (Bold indicates supposed Top 24.)

Brooke White sings "Beautiful" and plays piano. Despite her admitted lack of confidence, she's through.

Lorena sings Shania - no.
Amy Flynn - no
Leo Marlowe - no
Alisha Dixon - "Unwritten" with guitar; not good, a no.
Michael Sanflippo - "When I Need You" on guitar. I liked it, but Simon called it dreadful. Not through.
Alyssa Coco played keyboard & it's a no.
Shaun Barrowes plays Billy Joel on keyboard - no.

I think Jake Mellema is new (20, from MI). He's the lead singer and drummer for a band so chooses to sing and play drums here... for "Hooked on a Feeling"?! Um, whatever. He's just ok, & doesn't advance.

Ok, this is what I've been waiting for: finally one of the T24 guys we haven't been shown yet! It's David Hernandez, 24, AZ (4713). Now they show us his initial audition from San Diego (wow they found a lot of talent there!): "Ain't Too Proud to Beg." Very good. Today he's doing "Love the One You're With," and I put my pen down to watch. Randy later says his attention was also drawn from the very first note. This is great - he's confident, he moves around the stage (& has potential for dancing, lol), he shows a wide range of vocal styles (great song choice for that)... and is a very good singer. I love when somebody 'sneaks up' on me like this... and of course I don't want to get too excited about anyone yet, but this is the best reaction I've had to anyone yet (Robbie being 2nd, though I'm not proud to admit it!). We shall see, there are more to come!

Quick glimpse of Chikieze advancing; also a black gal with short hair, maybe Melanie?

Amanda Overmeyer was unfortunately in a pretty bad car accident the week before this was taped. She had some staples in her head & some cracked ribs, plus her car was totalled! Ick. She's in good spirits though, and her "Light My Fire" is a bit much for me but pleases the judges enough for her to advance. Simon does warn her that she'll need to develop a bit of variety in her vocals.

Ah, forgotten words. We see several... new guy Buck Smith (really long hair) singing "Stuck in the Middle with You"; Cardin, unfortunately (though her vocals are still awesome!!); and Natashia Blach singing "Sway" (and the song title is part the lyrics she forgets; not good!).

Ghaleb gets a long clip about being a ladies' man or something, though most of it is with one girl (Cardin). Whatever. He plays guitar & sings Bryan Adams' "Everything I Do" very poorly.

The total for Day 1 was 84 people: 54 no's, so 30 yesses. On to Day 2!

Josiah is up first. He plays keyboard for what I assume is another original, and is very good. Judges love him and he's through to the last day, despite his big teary scene they keep showing in the promo's. Yet to come then.

Danny sings "When I Need You" and is a.mazing. He's through. Man, I hope he makes it to the top 10! The clip was way too short. ;-)

Ramiele - "Till You Come Back to Me"; yes.

Carly - "When I Need You"; yes. I thought it was iffy but he judges still adore her.

Michael Johns - "Light My Fire"; yes.

David Cook plays guitar with "Everything I Do" & is very good. Also yes though only 2/3 (Simon said no).

Robbie also does "Everything I Do" (heh, 2 "rockers" in a row doing Bryan Adams; that will definitely get flack on the message boards!) and also advances. Another way too short clip, but what we heard of his voice was very nice.

Jessica Brown, Perrie, and Syesha all do "Everything I Do" but do not advance.

Colton Berry, 17, VA (55501) finally gets some screen time, though still not very much. He sings "Everything I Do" and has a soft but nice voice. I think he's through.

Kyle is last and does something upbeat I don't recognize. He gets some intro stuff and there's a mix-up with his hotel room assignment (there are already 2 women in 'his' room), & then there's something about his pick-up lines and you hear him asking a girl if she's ever had deer jerky. ;-) Poor guy. He does an upbeat song I don't recognize and it's really not good vocally and really *bad* presentation wise. Paula admits it was "a little corny" but Simon says "abyssmal" (and for once, I mostly agree). Paula beats around the bush and Simon gets annoyed w/her and walks out. If that's as much as they 'fight' this season, I'll be happy, as I usually find it a waste of screentime. Anyway, Kyle sticks around to try to redeem himself.

18 of the 80 advance for a total of 48 so far.

Day Three looks familiar: on stage in groups (lines) of 10 people, step forward & sing, then wait for results. Simon warns it will be "brutal."

Suzanne (single mom from Miami, now with straight hair) and Perrie (single dad) are in the 1st group. She does a blah version of "Summertime," & he does some R&B pretty well, but both are cut.

Amy Flynn gets a lot of footage with her "voice coach" Angel (who made it to Hollywood herself in Season 4). They made a point of saying Amy didn't know the song ahead of time, but she sings "Love Will Bring You Back" pretty well (though she's too belty). Alas, she is cut.

Of the first 40, only 4 went through. I caught glimpses of Chris Watson (black guy from Philly) being cut, and we're told Kayla Hatfield and Angelica Puente are also cut.

The last group includes Kristy Lee Cook, who sings "Amazing Grace" again; Jeffrey Lampkin, Kyle, and Angela Martin (Philly single mom of girl with Retts Syndrome) who sings "Lovely Day." Angela is cut but the rest advance.

It's Day 4! Time to pick the Top 50. The contestants get one last solo, with the band and (new this year) 3 background singers. Just like they'll have in the Top 24 next week, which is nice. The previous evening everyone was to rehearse with the band, which meant many were up very, very late. We're also told they can "pick any song," but later one contestant mentions choosing from a song list. So I'm guessing it's a very extensive list (unlike Day 2 with only When I Need You, Light My Fire, Everything I Do, and Till You Come Back to Me! There may have been a few more, but these were the only 4 we saw).

David Archuleta gets an appearance for the first time this episode. We see his first round performance on keyboard but don't get to hear any of the song. He advanced straight to today though. He does Bryan Adams' "Heaven" and is very, very good. The judges love him, and he stays.

Kyle sings "You Raise Me Up" and *does* totally redeem himself from Day 2's fiasco with a great vocal performance. Simon actually apologized for his behavior that day. Paula (surprisingly) called this performance "safe," but it was good enough & he stays. I really think he needs to 'update' his look if he's to stick around.

Jeffrey, despite having been very entertaining and encouraging to all of the contestants this week, does himself in with a very poor rendition of "A Whole New World" and is cut.

Joey, after suffering from a migraine all day, sings a decent "Ribbon in the Sky" but is also cut.

Syesha has been hoarse all week so has been resting her voice, and it pays off. She sings "Chain of Fools" & still belts too much but she stays.

Michael Johns sings "Bohemian Rhapsody." He does very, very well, and knows his range well enough not to go for the highest notes. The judges all love him and Simon says he's the best of the day! Michael surprises me with his humility, seeming almost surprised that they like it. He should be around for a while. :-)

Carly gets more background footage about how amazing they thought she was 2 years ago but her confidence & voice were lacking in San Diego this year. She says she found out she developed an allergy to her dog & has been wearing a face mask and her voice has recovered. She sings (rather, belts) "How Do I Get You Alone?" and the judges are back to loving her. I don't know, something about her personality &/or singing style just rubs me the wrong way.

Asia'h makes her first appearance this show and I don't know what she sings but it's awesome! Her hair is straight & pulled up & she looks really cute. She stays.

Brooke H. (beauty queen from Atlanta) sings "Unchained Melody" and does well until she gets to a certain spot. She asks if she can sing it over and they judges say no, but then she starts singing anyway (I hate it when they do that!). She's gotten one yes & one no and it's up to Paula to decide. She's on the fence and the disrespectful response sends her to the No side (good for you, Paula!). Brooke continues to go on about how she should be able to sing it over and that she didn't get a "fair chance like everyone else." Um, nobody else got re-do's either. Good riddance to that attitude.

Last up is Josiah. Apparently he had a hard time choosing a song (he's gotten by on originals so far), and once he did, imagined a certain arrangement in his head but wasn't able to clearly communicate that to the band. So at something like 5 am he gave up (ah, *now* we get the teary scene). Then we see he ran into (AI vocal coach) Byrd in the hallway & she said he wouldn't "sing through" the song with them (despite being asked 5 times) so they couldn't practice it with him... or something. Anyway, it boils down to the fact that he never really did rehearse the song with the band. So he's very nervous, and decides once he gets on stage to sing a cappella: after complimenting the band he politely 'dismisses' them, which the judges immediately criticize. He sings "Stand By Me" and isn't great, largely due to lack of sleep (his voice cracked) and stress (plus lack of instrumentation, I think, because his rhythm was off, etc.). He admits it wasn't great. However, the judges are very lenient and based on his previous strong performances, all 3 say yes, and he's in the Top 50.

Knowing that the spoilers *don't* put Josiah in the Top 24, I wonder why we have 'wasted' all of this time on a huge backstory (living in car) and stressful-Hollywood-week story on someone who won't matter at all after tomorrow night. Meanwhile there are 4 guys in the Top 24 we have yet to hear sing At. All.

I'm pleased with the talent shown tonight. I just hope those with equal talent (which would be at least Jason C and Luke, from past work I've sampled online) are given some screen time tomorrow so that they don't have to enter audience voting on such an uneven playing field vs. those we've seen several times by now. I know they did that for a few last year so we shall see. Overall still a good show; I still love Hollywood Week!!

Best of the Rest (2/6/08)

First up is the 2nd Hoosier in the Top 24, Amy Davis, 25 (20828, auditioned in Dallas). She says her family is "lower than lower middle class" and she would use earnings from any success she receives to help her struggling single mom. The judges ask about her ethnic background as they sense a 'little' something, and we're told her maternal grandmother is Japanese. She sings "Blue Bayou" and is just ok IMO.

Next we finally get to see the puppy (named Panda; awwww!)! Unfortunately we also have to see 3 bad singers: Panda's owner, Ashley, and the twin brothers Chris (whom she used to date) and Cory (whom she currently dates). But the puppy is adorable!

Cardin Lee McKinney, 20, TN (43501) is T50. She's a waitress. She sings "One Night Only" from "Dreamgirls" and is FABULOUS! And somehow Simon doesn't like her?! He says her voice isn't contemporary & she's too theatrical (um, the song's from a musical!). No matter; she advances. And I *LOVE* her!!

JoAnn Borgella, 25, NJ (82653, auditioned in Philly) is also T24. She's a plus-size model and has sung The National Anthem at Madison Square Gardens (which majorly impresses Randy). She sings a Celine song I'm not familiar with called "I Love You" and is good enough to advance, though she doesn't have the 'big voice' one has come to expect from plus-size black women. Simon says no but she gets 2 votes and is through.

Alesha Stelzl, 18, CA (3032) is yet another long-haired blond girl. She sings Celine's "Surrender" and has a nice tone to her voice but it's all wrong for that song. Paula says she sounds like Dolly Parton & the judges end up telling her to come back later to sing one of Dolly's songs for them. Of course she doesn't know any, and a surprised Ryan tries to sing several for her expecting her to recognize them, but she doesn't (and, thankfully, he stops). She ends up learning "Islands in the Stream" from the internet and sings most of the chorus correctly. She still makes some weird facial expressions while singing and Simon sticks to his earlier no, but Randy & Paula say yes. After she leaves Simon admits to the others that they were right and her voice did work for that song.

There's a mostly-funny montage of Simon mispronouncing a bunch of contestants' names, some intentionally. Which segues perfectly into...

Chikezie Eze (yes, that's really his name!), 22, CA (613, San Diego), who also auditioned last year but makes it to T24 this year. He sings Luther's "All the Woman I Need" and, as the previews hinted, is very, very good!

Lastly we have Danny Noriega, 17, CA (1356, also San Diego), also T24 & also auditioned last year. He says he has his nerves more under control and is being more "himself" this year (which explains itself when you see him, trust me). He sings "Proud Mary." Oh, this one is going to be entertaining!! He does have a good voice, but he's so OTT (and Simon didn't call him theatrical?!), overly confident, and sure to grate. He advances easily and could definitely be our "I can't wait to see what he does this week" finalist this year! :-)

And that's a wrap! We're told 164 advanced to Hollywood and there's a long promo, showing several people playing instruments (cool!), including Jason C & Colton B on guitar (2 of the T24 guys we haven't gotten to see/hear yet), and Brooke and David A on keyboard. Ryan promises "some of the greatest performances to ever grace our Hollywood stage." Bring it on!!

AI7 Atlanta Auditions (2/5/08)

Over 12,000 contestants are hoping to be the next Clay Aiken or Jennifer Hudson (both of whom were 'found' in Atlanta). Ryan's parents also visit!

First through is Joshua Jones, 26, GA (47503). Josh works with glass and sings Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now" fairly well, despite facing the wall as the judges were distracted by his eye expressions while singing. Simon said it was too karaoke but he gets through with 2 votes.

Asia'h Epperson, 18, MO (50641) is in the Top 24. She tells us her father died 2 days ago in a car accident - rough! She changes her audition song to "How Do I Live" and gets through most of it, though I'm curious to hear her sing when she's less emotional (her voice cracked on higher notes & was very breathy). The judges are sympathetic but I think she would've made it through anyway. Paula takes a Kleenex break. ;-)

Brooke Helvie, 18, FL (40592) is a pageant girl hoping to prove Simon wrong & show him that she has genuine talent. Her "Who's Loving You?" is very good. Simon gets a hug after putting her through (though admits after she left the room that she annoyed him).

Alexandrea Lushington, 16, GA (41800) is another T24. She sings "My Funny Valentine" and is decent. Her 93-year old grandmother (there at the auditions with her) is cute.

Our 3rd Atlanta auditioner in T24 is Amanda Overmeyer, 22, IN (didn't get her # but Yay, Indiana!!). Her early nickname is 'rock & roll nurse' as she's a respiratory nurse (who does home visits helping people learn to use their equipment) who rides a motorcycle & has streaked hair. She sings some Janis & then, at the judges' prompting to do something else, "Traveling Band." Has a husky voice but seems to have potential. And there's a cool chick from my normally-perceived-as-hick-filled state, so another yay!

The last contestant shown is Josiah Leming, 18, TN (46069), T50. He's a high school dropout living in his car and sings one of his own songs, "To Run." Having visited his MySpace, I'll say I was a bit disappointed. I didn't hear the vibrato on his recorded stuff, though maybe it's partially nerves. Anyway I really liked his songs and vocally he reminds me of Howie Day. The judges marvel that the southern teen sings with a bit of a British accent, mate. (Simon is pleased.)

Altogether 20 advance to Hollywood; we saw 6 of them. One more night of auditions and then it's time for the Hollywood rounds!!

AI7 Auditions - Miami (1/30/08)

Miami had over 10,000 auditioners; that seems to be the 'magic' number this year. Miami has fewer people advance to Hollywood than Omaha did, but the talent is more impressive, IMO anyway....

Robbie Carrico, 25, FL (73070) is Top 24. I knew his backstory from spoilers and was actually surprised Ryan tells the audience in narration, at least part of it: Robbie the Rocker used to be in a boy band! (He also dated Britney, but I understand why that wasn't mentioned!) The guy's already hated online by many as a poser, and I wasn't prepared to like him... but I do. Potentially a lot. ;-) He sings "Simple Man" and is very good. Seems to have a nice (polite, mature) personality. And definitely a sense of humor, shared by his family who cover him in Silly String when he emerges with the coveted Golden Ticket.

Ghaleb Emachah, 27, FL (71352) is originally from Venezuela. He plays guitar, piano, and harmonica and sings "gypsy music." I thought he was ok; Simon said he'd like him if he (Simon) were drunk. Randy & Paula put him through.

Next are BFF's Brittany Wescott (76599) and Corliss Smith (75918), both 20 & from FL. Corliss is first and sings "Take 5" to Randy. Brittany follows with "My Guy," to Simon per the judges' suggestion. I think Brittany has a very pretty voice, though Corliss is maybe a better singer? Anyway both are advanced and there is a hugfest.

Suzanne Toon, 21, FL (76501) attended a performing arts school. She also got pregnant at 18 and had her daughter Madison at 19 (Madison's father did not stay so Suzanne is a single mom). Suzanne says she hasn't sung in 3 years. "I Can't Make You Love Me" - she's good, and her voice has an interesting/different tone.

Next we get a clip of Jasmine Trias (of whom we had more than enough during her own season, "thank you") and are told that her album went Platinum in the Philippines. Our next contestant is also Filipino: Ramiele Malubay, 19, FL (74854) & T24. Sings (ok, belts) "Natural Woman" and has potential though the high notes stretch her. Simon says she doesn't sound contemporary enough and thinks Randy & Paula only like her because she's short & cute (which she is), and she advances. End of Day 1.

First on Day 2 is Syesha Mercado, 20, FL (67235) - another T24. Syesha was a finalist on the (too short-lived) competition show "The One" so we know she can sing... she does "Think (Freedom)" and is belty but good. We also get family clippage of her w/her father who just got out of rehab after struggling with drugs & alcohol "for years."

Natashia Blach, 29, CO (68639) sings "At Last." She is very good also.

Our last good singer in Miami is Ilsy Lorena Pinot, 29, FL, RT50. I don't know the song she sang but she's good enough.

There are very short clips of 3 guys who advance. Then several folks who don't.

Not advancing but worth mentioning is Julie Dubela, 16, who was in the Top 20 on American Juniors several years ago. She has a good voice which comes out in parts of "Me & Bobby McGee," but she also over-performs and is annoying. When Simon tells her she's precocious, she haughtily asks, "what does that mean?" and the judges giggle. Simon encouraged her (honestly) to pursue acting and she got upset. The judges labeled her over-indulged, which is probably true, though not her fault.

Last is another annoying no (this one a guy all in white). In total 17 advance from Miami. We were shown auditions of 9, which is over half - wow! Plus we were shown 1/8 of the Top 24! Ending with the usual end montage (though it has more repeats of those we've already seen than normal)... and next stop, Atlanta!

AI7 Charleston Auditions (1/23/08)

Over 10,000 audition, and 23 advance. We are shown a whopping 4 of those 23. (They're getting worse at this as the shows air!)

First shown, and last shown, is Oliver, whose wife went into labor so they went to the hospital and baby Emma Grace was born. Oliver came back on Day 2 & auditioned at the end of the day with "Get Here," but wasn't quite good enough. The judges got to meet the baby though.

Siblings Michelle (26, #54204) and Jeffery (24, 54203) Lampkin, SC, are the first to go through. They sing a duet of "I'm Your Angel." Jeffery is very good, and a riot! Michelle got a no from Randy but both advance.

Amy Flynn, 16, TN (56598) is captain of her dance team and in STARS, a group that teaches abstinence. She proceeds to give a speech to Simon. She sings "Reflection" and is good, but her personality will grate (and Simon tells her this, to her utter surprise!). Paula loved her (not a surprise).

Last on Day 1, and the last good audition we're shown, is London Weidberg, 24, SC (56662), whose father died of cancer 3 years ago. She sings "Good Morning, Heartache" and is decent. Simon said she doesn't have anything unique, and we never actually see whether he said yes or no, but the other 2 say yes so she's in.

RT50 who auditioned in Charleston: Well, I guess Lisa Aukerman is the only one we know for sure. And that puppy they showed in last night's preview was nowhere to be seen! :-(

AI7 San Diego Auditions (1/22/08)

Over 12,000 people auditioned in San Diego. 31 advanced. Of those, we were only shown 6!

Tetiana Ostapowych, 24, CA (9535) sang "Someone to Watch Over Me." Another blond with a decent voice.

Perrie Cataldo, 27, AZ (9764) is a single dad whose son is pretty adorable. Sang "I'll Make Love to You" and the judges loved him.

Michael Johns, 28, CA (474) is on the RT50 and it's clear why! Sings an Otis Redding song called "I've Been Loving You Too Long" and is definitely the best male singer we've heard so far. He also has an Australian accent (moved to the US 10 yrs ago) and isn't hard on the eyes. If he makes it to the top 24 I'll be very surprised if he's not voted into the finals.

Last on Day 1 is Samanta Musa, 20, CA (7848). She & her sister both think Simon is hot; I'll try not to hold that against her, as I *adore* her voice! She sings "Until You Come Back to Me" and I get a bit of a country/southern rock vibe (a la Wynonna or Bonnie Raitt). LOVE.

The one I kind-of wish would've been put through is Blake Bushnack, 22, on his 11th audition! Best remembered for wearing a Statue of Liberty costume in S5, Blake's mother is obsessed with the show and probably much of the reason for his obsession. However, he can actually sing! His "Stand By Me" isn't mindblowing, but it's at least as good as several other contestants they've put through (and better than a couple, like Kayla Hatfield, IMO). Oh well... there's always next year!

Now the much promoted David Archuleta, 16, UT (11394), RT50. We learn that he suffered from vocal paralysis (one of his vocal cords was partially paralyzed) and didn't want to risk surgery but has mostly recovered. We don't learn (at least not yet, and maybe not ever from the show itself) that he's a former Star Search winner. He sings "Waiting for the World to Change" and there are glimpses of greatness, with a side of nerves (he flubbed some words). The judges love him (as do many young female fans, rumored to already be starting the "Arch Angels" fan group!). A shoe-in for the finals if he makes Top 24.

Lastly we have Carly (Hennessy) Smithson, 23, CA (175), also RT50. Carly & her hubby own a tattoo shop, and it shows (though more on him than her). She is from Ireland and after she advanced to Hollywood in Season 5 she found out her Visa wasn't coming soon enough so she was disqualified. For some reason she's very nervous, and Simon said she actually sounded better 2 years ago. She over-embellished "I'm Every Woman" and I haven't dug up her previous audition but I might just agree (not that it was aired). Anyway, she's in easily.

Idol Season 7 Premiere - Philly Auditions (1/15/08)

And we're off! Again this year over 100,000 people auditioned. First up is Philadelphia, where we're told the "biggest crowd ever" showed up.

I will say that, at least for the first half hour, Idol did much better than last year at showing decent singers. In fact, of the first 10 shown, half made it through! I'll only list those that got through, though I have detailed notes (as usual) so if you have questions/comments about anyone else let me know!

*I'll also post a warning that if you don't want to know who's rumored to be in the Top 50, stop reading! I will mention them as they are shown auditioning (tonight there are a few...).

Joey Catalono, 19, NJ (#82270) has lost over 200 pounds. He sings Maroon 5's "Sunday Morning" and is decent. Yesses from all 3 judges.

Melanie Nyema, 26, CA (87970) sang backup for Taylor Hicks. "Unwritten" is ok. She gets through with 2 votes.

Junot Joyner (a guy), 25, MD (89586): "I Guess that's Why They Call It the Blues."

Jose Candelaria, 23, NJ (81135) sings "Unbreak My Heart" in Spanish.

Jonathan Baines, 17, DE (81879) sings a song I don't know but he's good. I'm told it's "A Little More You" by Little Big Town. He's also extremely tall.

During a segment on "family support," we get very short clips of 5 people advancing (& several others that don't). Among these 5 is a girl I recognize from the rumored Top 50 list (which I'll be abbreviating "RTop50"): Amy Davis, from Indiana! She has a guitar so I'm assuming she played it for her audition. I really hope we get to see her audition, maybe in something like last year's "The Best of the Rest" audition show.

Last to advance on Day 1 is Angela Martin, 26, IL (87531). She has a little girl with Retts Syndrome and wants to make enough money performing so that she can get her the best medical care possible (yes, our first sob story, of many, I'm sure). Fortunately she can sing; she does "Signed, Sealed, Delivered." Simon tells her to lose her wedding band singer habits & she'll do well.

He also says, after hearing her family/friends screaming in joy w/her outside the door, that he doesn't understand the US custom of celebrating for someone you know when they get good news. He says he couldn't be happy for someone else in this way, and he's completely serious. Which seems strange, and sad.

Moving on to Day 2...

Kristy Lee Cook, 23, OR (77610) gets a long background clip which meshes w/her being in the RTop50! She lives in a log cabin & does lots of sports; she also buys & trains horses, one of which she sold for the $ to travel to audition. She sings "Amazing Grace" excellently; she has nice control and a country tone to her voice. (edited to add: there is some controversy surrounding a music video of hers with a Confederate flag in the background.)

Beth Stalker, 28, MI (84173) is a SAHM who sings in clubs at night and recorded an album of "Sunday school songs" when she was 4. "Bewitched, Bothered, & Bewildered." Simon says no because he doesn't think she'll stand out enough so she advances w/2 votes.

Chris Watson, 20, DE (86697) has big dreams: he wants to be a "legend" whose albums are around for 30 or 40 years. He sings Uncle Kracker's "Follow Me" and is good; he also has a good look (Simon agrees). Simon also said he has a good recording voice, and Randy told him not to be afraid to take chances because he can "really sing."

Lastly we have Brooke White, 24, CA (88122) who's another RTop50. She works as a nanny, is married, and admits to never having seen an R-rated movie. She sings Corrine Bailey Ray's "Like A Star" and is good (I like her MySpace music even better - and strangely I'm as excited that she apparantly knows Clay's former backup Jacob Luttrell as that she knows James Taylor [whom it says it currently online also; how bizarre is that?! Gotta love the internet!]). The judges really like her and Simon jokes that they'll "bring her over to the dark side."

At the end we get the normal ultra-short clips of the rest of the 29 total who advance (though somehow I count 30, so I must have someone in twice). I like to make notes of these folk for later when there are people in the Top 24, for instance, that have never been mentioned or featured on the show before, so we can go back & say Yep, they really were there!

Tomorrow - Dallas!

If anyone knows what Jonathan sang please let me know. :)