Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Tonight, we get an episode of Idol called “The Road to Hollywood.”

I don’t remember such an episode in the past. I don’t know what to expect.

I’m hoping Idol will spend the hour introducing us to top talent we missed during the audition episodes.

Say someone like Crystal Bowersox, who won a golden ticket in Chicago and is better than any of the females to make last year’s finals, based on what I’ve heard of her original songs.

Say someone like Aaron Kelly from good ol’ Pennsylvania, who earned the right to audition by winning at the American Idol Experience in Orlando and could be the show’s next teen heartthrob. Though he sings country music, which will be one strike again him in Simon Cowell’s book.

The first contestant we’re introduced to is Jessica Furney, who made it to Hollywood last year and decided to come back this season. In her Idol video, she says she wants to be a complete performer, not just a pretty voice who can sing. That, she says, “is overdone.”

Well, welcome to Hollywood for a second time, Jessica. Of course, singing a song Simon co-wrote, “Footprints in the Sand,” was a sly move.

Amanda Shechtman, a drama queen, just earned a trip to Hollywood. Wonder if she’ll wind up starring, in all the wrong ways, in those Hollywood episodes. In her Idol video, she displays that knack for talking with her mouth shut.

Finally, Idol shows us a couple of seconds of Crystal Bowersox singing. Folks, this gal is the real deal, a top-flight singer-songwriter. Head here for more info on Crystal and a link to a site where you can hear her sing for more than a couple of notes.

Several contestants are back from season eight, huh. We just caught glimpses of Rose Flack, Frankie Jordan and Lacey Brown.

Rose got caught in the Bikini Girl Diva derailment during last year’s group show; Frankie left the judge’s mansion disgusted and insisting Idol had missed out on a major talent. As for Lacey, the judges picked Megan Joy instead.

We just met Michael Lynche, who looks like a football player, but sure doesn’t sing like one. Bet he could have won the Idol challenge at the Super Bowl. (Go here to read about the real challenge.)

Michael’s also the guy who was supposedly booted from the competition because his dad blabbed to a newspaper about his success on the show. Now I’m wondering if that report was correct. If it was, wouldn’t Idol have edited him out of this show?

Of course, there was that weirdness last year, when Joanna Pacitti was picked for the semifinals one night, only to have Idol issue an abrupt press release the next morning that she’d been disqualified in favor of Felicia Barton.

Hey, this Didi Benami gal has a good voice. And she says she sings for a best friend who died four years ago. Very sweet.

But all those tears. I fear she’s going to be the reincarnation of Ramiele Malubay, who seemed to spend most of her time crying during season seven.

OK, I didn’t know that about Aaron Kelly. He was adopted by his aunt and uncle so he wouldn’t wind up being raised by strangers.

Didn’t like his selection of audition songs — a Miley Cyrus tune — but it’s hard not to root for a guy from Pa., right?

Go here for lots more on Aaron.

And, finally, we meet Hope Johnson, whose family was so poor she took food home from school for her brother.

Wow, and she can sing. It’s going to be very, very difficult to root against her, isn’t it?

Check back later. I’ll try to provide more information on some of tonight’s more talented contestants.

And check back next week for live blogging as the Hollywood episodes begin.