On last night’s episode of American Idol, Simon, Randy, Paula and Kara took their search for talent to the city that gave us David Archuleta: Salt Lake City.
Some of the people were beyond friendly, some were a little weird (see lead photo), and some were so talented, we can already see them making it to the top two. Not since Stevie Wright in Phoenix and Jessica Paige Furney in Kansas City have we been so excited about some of the contestants.
Like the Jacksonville audition episode, few bad auditions were shown. Idol made sure to pack in as much talent as possible.
16 people in all got golden tickets to Hollywood over their 2-day stay. Check out some of our favorites:
David Osmond - Yes, he’s related to the famous Osmond family. The 28-year-old may have a famous family, but he’s no stranger to hard times. His dad struggles from the debilitating disease Multiple Sclerosis–David is also a sufferer. Her spent awhile in a wheelchair and can suffer a flare up any moment. His disease hasn’t broken his spirit. He’s going after his dream and with a voice like his to go along with his amazing personality, he can make it really far. Surprisingly, the judges weren’t as amazed as we were, but David got his ticket to Hollywood.
Chris Kirkham – Ya hate to see what happened to Chris happen. Chris is a totally capable singer. He didn’t do a bad job singing Del Amitri’s “Roll to Me,” but he decided on a gimmick. He brought his friend Greg along. Fine. But Greg was dressed in a pink bunny suit. The judges were so distracted they couldn’t bother to take Chris’s second shot at singing a new song seriously. He’s going back home with no ticket, but he gets to keep his awesome Simon church fan. Blessed!
Frankie Jordan - TOTALLY IN LOVE!!! The 24-year-old wife and mom from Hollywood, CA may have performed Amy Winehouse’s “You Know That I’m No Good,” but Frankie is all good! Her voice is confident and controlled, her husband is hawt, and her son is adorable. She might lack the emotional connection a sob story gives, but her talent is enough for us to predict she’ll be in the top 5 at least!
Megan Corkrey - Back to back hotness! Like Frankie, Megan is a mommy, but she’s also a recent divorcee. She’s raising her 2-year-old son alone and is at a crossroads in her life. She went after her Idol shot on a whim, but something tells us she knew she’d be a hit. She performed “Can’t Help Loving That Man Of Mine” and blew the judges away with her smokey, jazzy voice. Simon was in love, telling Megan she’s one of the few he’d remember. A great testament to her talent but we’re sure the huge tattoo on her right arm and her gorgeous, Alexis Bledel-like face will help Cowell remember.
Austin Sisneros - 17-year-old Austin tried his hardest to be the new David Archuleta. But unlike Archie whose sweetness came off as charming and warm, Austin, the class president at his school, came off as warm, yes, but warm and uber-obnoxious! He doesn’t have a bad voice but he is terribly old fashioned. The best part of his audition was a little run he did two seconds into his song. The judges gave him the “get young” warning but padded the lecture with a ticket to Hollywood. Austin totally cried.
Taylor Vaifanua - Taylor is cute, peppy, extremely tall, and only 16 years-old. Remind you of anyone? Yup. She’s Jordin Sparks 2.0 but without the big amazing voice. Taylor’s voice wasn’t too shabby on her rendition of “Joyful Joyful,” but we think the judges flipped over her more because her commercial appeal was popping off all over the place.
Rose Flack - The 17-year-old self-proclaimed hippy has had it rough in her teen years. Her beloved father died when she was 13, and her mother died just two years later. She’s now living with a friend’s family and found the family she’s been looking for since her parents’ death. She made her new family proud in her audition, singing “I Feel The Earth Move.” Her voice doesn’t compare to Frankie or Megan’s but it’s sultry and smooth, plus her upbeat personality owns. Simon was mesmerized. He said she’s another one of the few he’d actually remember because of her “special” something. We have to agree.
Tomorrow night the audition round will finish with a two city episode. See if the gang can find the next American Idol in New York City or San Juan, Puerto Rico. Ryan’s voice-over promised this would be one of the most dramatic episodes, like, ever. Then next week, it begins! Hollywood week!!!
Tsk Tsk… I overshot just a little I suppose. Haha! Truth be told, I brought The Grabbit for attention and a sure shot for tv, but didn’t intend for him to follow me all the way to the judges. But television is televsion, and the producers ushered him in. Oh well, good times! Had a laugh and made Cowell smile : ) Maybe I’ll try sans bunny next time.