Idol Chatter & Voice Views

So, you say you need some tips for those American Idol auditions, which begin this weekend in Boston?

Felicia Barton is more than willing to offer some advice, based on her experience in season seven, when she failed to make it through the first round, and based on her experience in season eight, when she did.

You remember Felicia. She’s the gal who made it to Hollywood this year, then made it to the judges’ mansion, only to be cut as Idol narrowed the season eight field to 36 semifinalists.

But wait a minute. Her story hadn’t ended yet.

Within 12 hours, Joanna Pacitti had been booted from the competition, and Felicia Barton was back in, a last-minute replacement in the final 36.

That provided her a chance to sing Alicia Keys’ “No One” in the semifinals for a national TV audience. She did not qualify for the finals. And this time there were no booted finalists to replace.

Judging from her video blogs, Felicia is now back home in Virginia Beach, working on new music with her husband, music she promises to post on her MySpace page sometime soon.

And Tuesday, Felicia posted a list of eight tips on her blog for contestants who plan to try out for American Idol, season nine. Here’s the link.

My favorite tips: Remember that you’re not just auditioning for a singing competition, you’re auditioning for a reality TV show. So do something to attract attention. In Felicia’s case, her husband carried a huge sign and wore a “crazy t-shirt” with her face on it and made sure the media covering the auditions paid attention.

Or you could just show up in a bikini.

Oh, forgot. That’s already been done.