Through American Idol’s first three audition episodes of Season 14, we saw several singers advance to Hollywood by 2-1 votes. In every case but one, Harry Connick Jr. was the guy casting the “no” vote. Alexis Gomez, 22, of Dayton, Ohio, is the gal who got Harry to say “yes.” She auditioned with a spirited…
Anyone who followed Season 13 of American Idol saw a very familiar face during the Kansas City audition episode. Casey Thrasher is back for another go at Idol, after enduring one of the cruelest cuts in the show’s history last spring. I say that because Idol advanced 30 singers to last year’s semifinals, then cut…
Hmm, did American Idol hang out a sign for Season 14 that said: Amateurs need not apply? I just checked back over the 17 Hollywood-bound singers we met in last Thursday’s episode. Eight identified themselves as musicians already; two called themselves actors or actresses. Even some of the “students” entered the audition room with quite…
Turns out the very first Hollywood-bound contestant we met on American Idol Season 14 has a central Pennsylvania connection. Riley Bria grew up in Lancaster and spent two years performing in a contemporary country band, first known as Headstrong, then as Levi Road. The band consisted of Riley, brothers Jaden and Spencer and friend Josh…
The very final contestant we met during American Idol’s combined Nashville-Kansas City audition episode was the talented Jess Lamb. While the first two episodes of Season 14 featured lots of talented young singers, the 28-year-old told us she’s been playing music — mostly Motown and soul — around the Cincinnati area for 10 years. “For…
One of the most heartwarming auditions in Nashville for American Idol was provided by country singer Garrett Miles. Garrett’s optic nerves never developed, so he was born blind in his right eye and with only 10 percent vision in his left. That hasn’t stopped him from pursuing his aspirations of becoming a country singer. He’s…
Clark Beckham was introduced to us as a Nashville street performer during the American Idol Season 14 auditions. But that might be selling the 22-year-old from White House, Tenn., short. This is a street performer who has already released two solid EPs — a self-titled six-track effort in June 2013 and a 6-track “Songs About…
American Idol is looking for bigger personalities in Season 14. They might have found one in Loren Lott, one of the singers to advance to Hollywood from the Nashville auditions. Loren Sharice Lott is a 21-year-old from San Diego, but she’s been attending school at Clark Atlanta University, studying mass media arts. She’s also been…
The American Idol judges were being such goofballs when Lovey James auditioned that we didn’t get to learn much about her. Well, other than the fact that Lovey is her stage name and her real name is Kirsten (the spelling is a guess based on what I heard on the show). It’s a shame we…
Is the fourth time the charm on American Idol? Sarina-Joi Crowe, 19, of Columbia, Tenn., is about to find out. Sarina-Joi made the Top 100 on American Idol back in Season 10. She was one of the last 50 girls standing in Season 12. She advanced past the Hollywood group round last year. And she’s…
