Idol Chatter & Voice Views

About a week ago, I posted a blog on special talents American Idol’s golden ticket winners revealed during their Hollywood Week interviews.

And, oh, what talents?

Three gals confessed they’re experts at driving with their knees. Remember Vanessa Wolfe of Tennessee? She says she’s great at talking her way out of police tickets. Go here for more.

Anyway, I figured it was time to reveal the special talents of this year’s 24 semifinalists.

After all, one gal tried boxing. One is into hip-hop, and you probably won’t be able to guess which one.

And one of the guys yodels. Again, you’ll be surprised at which one.

Among the rest of the guys, one’s a champion arm wrestler (no surprise) and one’s a champion eater (huh?).

On a more serious note, you can go here for a portrait gallery of the top 24, here for profiles of the top 12 girls and here for profiles of the top 12 guys.

Meanwhile, here goes, special talents, as revealed by the semifinalists in their golden ticket and final 24 interviews.

* Aaron Kelly: He can burp really loud. Thankfully, he doesn’t demonstrate.

* Alex Lambert: Providing definitions. Honestly. That’s what he said.

* Andrew Garcia: He break dances, but he lists his special talent as taking care of his son.

* Ashley Rodriguez: She didn’t specify one. But she did mention a slight phobia of stairs. So I don’t we’ll see her making one of those patented Adam Lambert smoke-filled entrances during season nine.

* Casey James: His ability with the guitar and his vocals. Come on, Casey, open up. That’s why you’re in this competition. Tell us something new. Well, he is a Star Wars fan and a closet nerd, he says.

* Crystal Bowersox: Consider Crystal an all-around artistic type. She lists her special talents as knitting, sculpting, drawing … and “making people feel at home.”

* Didi Benami: As slender as she is, she tried boxing. She said it was fun. But it in the long run, it didn’t work out real well. She wound up singing for the group instead. “I wasn’t the greatest boxer. I would have been the one running around in circles away from people.”

* Haeley Vaughn: She has been a cheerleader and says people underestimate the hard work involved in cheerleading, which she considers a sport. She likes to watch cheerleading competitions, too.

* Janell Wheeler: She dabbled in break-dancing, had her own hip-hop dance team in college and says she’s a bargain shopper extraordinare. After all, she just bought a shirt for 48 cents at a thrift store, she told Idol in her Hollywood video.

* Jermaine Sellers: He’s great at speaking gibberish, and demonstrates. See below. The gibberish starts at the 1:44 mark.

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* Joe Munoz: He also sings in Spanish and thinks he could learn to play any instrument by ear.

* John Park: He’s a huge eater. “I can eat six double cheeseburgers in 15 minutes. I have like little bets or (speed eating) competitions with friends, and I always beat them.”

* Katelyn Epperly: In addition to singing, she’s learning the business side of the music business, from how to be a booking agent to production and engineering.

* Katie Stevens: She’s fluent Portuguese, a language she was taught by her grandmother. Her family is from Portugal.

* Lacey Brown: She can separate her pinkie toes from her others and wiggle them really fast. Dang. She has shoes on. So she doesn’t demonstrate.

* Lee DeWyze: Drawing. “I guess that’s a talent,” he says. Oh, and he’s good at mixing paint.

* Lilly Scott: She has a long tongue. We’re talking Gene Simmons proportions. She good-naturedly shows it off. But I couldn’t find the video interview on YouTube, so if you want to see it, you’ll have to go here. The tongue flash comes at the 51-second mark.

* Michael Lynche: Arm wrestling. He says he hasn’t lost an arm wrestling match since age 9. Hey, Big Mike, we believe you.

* Michelle Delamor: She might look like a diva-in-training, but she says she also excels at baking. And she’s been a vegetarian since age 3.

* Paige Miles: She doesn’t mention special talents, saying she’s a homebody who loves being around her family.

* Siobhan Magnus: She likes scary movies and considers herself a baby-sitter extraordinare. After all, with so many little cousins and sisters, she’s had plenty of experience.

* Tim Urban: He’s a jock who loves sports. And says he’s 20 years old and has never touched alcohol.

* Todrick Hall: He yodels and writes musicals.

* Tyler Grady: He didn’t specify one, so I’ll make one up — the ability to fall out of a tree, break both arms, show up for his audition with them in a cast and still earn a golden ticket.