Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Hmm, Thursday night was the first time this season I felt as though the judges were handing out free passes based on contestants’ ability to be entertaining in ways other than singing.

The DeSimone sisters. Neither sounded very good to me. But here’s betting they can supply some Hollywood Week drama, with Idol constantly teasing us about how one might make it while the other fails.

And Cornelius Edwards, the 24-year-old security guard who has been getting dancing tips from adult entertainers? He didn’t sing Tina Turner’s “Proud Mary” badly, but he didn’t even know the name of the song. And I think it’s the split he did so hard that it split his pants (ouch!) that got him through to Hollywood.

But, alas, there appeared to be more singing talent on display in Orlando, where 31 golden tickets were handed out, than in Chicago, where 13 were doled out and then one was taken back.

Here’s a look at some of the more talented and experienced of the Hollywood bound.

* Shelby Dressel: This 18-year-old waitress was the last performer on the first day in Orlando and won her golden ticket by singing Norah Jones’ “Turn Me On.” She also sings lead for her own Shelby Dressel band, which apparently specializes in country music since their set includes Miranda Lambert’s “White Liar,” Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” and lots of other popular country tunes. There are also three originals written by Shelby listed on that Web site. Head there and you can hear one of those, “Hear It From Me.”

* Janell Wheeler: She was one of three gals we heard just a bit from Wednesday night. She calls herself the “Sunshine Cowgirl.” Guess what? She sings country music. And sounds pretty darn good. Check out “Red Dress” on her MySpace page. “It’s just a little red dress / but jaws are dropping / eyes are popping / hearts are stopping / it’s innocent and harmless / but it’s making me stand out tonight / bringing out my sexy side / yes, it must be the red dress.” Sounds like a sure-fire country hit. And, apparently it fits the singer, who says in her MySpace profile: “I wear flip flops year round, but I also strut around in heels as often as possible.” Go, Janell.

* Jermaine Purifory was last seen on season seven of Idol when he made it to Hollywood. The 24-year-old from Cleveland, Tenn., wowed the judges with a Tony Bennett tune. In his MySpace profile, Jermaine says “I love music and I love to saang … not sing … saang. There is a big difference and I’m still trying to learn the concepts of that.” He apparently sings with a Christian group called Day One. Oh, he also says on MySpace: “I hate to say it, but I like reality TV.” Among his favorite shows: American Idol, of course. There’s no music on Jermaine’s MySpace, but there is on Day One’s.

Now, I just wish I could find more information on Matthew Lawrence, because I have a feeling he’ll be a force to be reckoned with in this competiton. The 25-year-old from Starke, Fla., robbed a bank with a BB gun back when he was 15 and spent time behind bars. Idol’s blue bar identified him as the manager of a trucking company. He earned raved reviews from the judges Wednesday night by singing, appropriately enough, “Trouble.”

I’ll keep searching for more on Matthew and share whatever I find, so keep checking back.