Lots of contestants classify receiving a golden ticket to Hollywood on American Idol as a pleasant surprise. Cari Quoyeser said her feeling after auditioning and advancing was one of “sheer relief.” Perhaps that’s because of high expectations. She’s not exactly a novice at this music business. She has sung lead vocals and played rhythm guitar…
Blair Monzingo traveled all the way from Albertson, N.C., to audition for American Idol in Texas. And after journeying all that way, she said she was thrilled to get a golden ticket despite having bronchitis. She lives just 45 minutes away from Scotty McCreery’s hometown, so it’s no surprise she lists him as her favorite…
Arielle Degueure is something of a novice at this singing bit. The first time she performed in front of an audience was last summer in a talent show. She performed Adele’s “Someone Like You” and “One and Only.” And the Richmond, Texas, resident did well enough to give her the courage to try out for…
Amber Holcomb says the success of two past Idols — Carrie Underwood and Fantasia — convinced her to try out for Idol. She says she’s been watching the show since she was young and had to try out once she got old enough. She auditioned in Texas and earned a golden ticket to Hollywood. In…
Alisha Pace says her parents encouraged her to try out for American Idol at the Galveston auditions. “I wasn’t sure I was qualified or ready,” she admits, but she got a golden ticket. She says she thinks the fact that she smiles so much helps set her apart. In fact, she says sometimes people tell…
She’ll be remembered as the girl who kissed Steven Tyler during American Idol’s Aspen audition episode. After all, he was on her list of celebrities she could kiss without it being considered cheating by her boyfriend. But listen to Jenni Schick’s golden ticket interview, and it’s impossible not to root for this 24-year-old from Sterling,…
She showed up at the Aspen auditions declaring her admiration for Lady Gaga and explaining that she, too, likes to “make everything a performance.” Of course, that became clear from her performance of “If You’ve Got It, Flaunt It,” complete with a couple of risque dance moves. If you thought it was all a gimmick…
In Season 10, Curtis Gray auditioned for American Idol and flunked out. In Season 11, the Spring Hill, Fla., resident tried again with much different results. He sang “It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday” by Boys II Men, then was described as a “major talent” by Steven Tyler and “good looking with a…
She’s a vegetarian working as a meat packer. And that’s just one of three jobs held by Orem, Utah, resident Haley Smith, who also works as a busser in a restaurant and as a house cleaner. No wonder she was trying to win a golden ticket to Hollywood when American Idol visited Aspen. The then-18-year-old…
Friends advised Jairon Jackson against singing an original song during his American Idol audition because it wasn’t well-known. The lad from Denver, Colorado, ignored that advice and performed his R&B ballad “So Hard” anyway. The risk paid off in a golden ticket and high praise from the judges during the Aspen audition episode. “Very nice,…
