If Jessica Phillips’ story on the Portland audition episode of American Idol reminded you of Chris Medina, you’re not alone. Watching Chris’ story on Season 10, about how his fiance had been severely injured in a tragic car crash, spoke to Jessica in a way most Idol viewers can’t imagine. That’s because she found herself in…
Look at that. A musician showed up for the American Idol auditions in St. Louis, and the show didn’t try to pass him off as a paint store worker or a bartender or a sanitation worker. There was Ethan Jones, 22, of Pontoon Beach, Fla., with an Idol blue bar identifying him as “musician.” Despite…
Over the years, not too many Idol contestants have auditioned in front of the judges with their daughter standing by their side. But that was the scenario in the St. Louis episode Thursday night, when Rachelle Lamb and daughter Maddy appeared before Steven, Jennifer and Randy. From the moment Maddy adorably told her mom, “No,…
So, they’ve posted the video for Melanie Amaro’s Pepsi commercial, one of the grand prizes for winning the first season of X Factor USA. As you’ve probably heard, the commercial also features Elton John. And you know what, it’s a really cute commercial. Melanie looks and sounds great. But I’m still hoping it doesn’t displace…
I don’t know about anyone else, but I thought one of the purest male voices we’ve heard during the Season 11 Idol auditions came from Reis Kloeckener. We met Reis midway through the St. Louis audition episode. He’s the guy who described a difficult transition from a 152-student Lutheran school to a much larger high…
For weeks we’d be seeing the Idol promos, with Jennifer Lopez telling a good-looking young guy that he was going to be a star. Thursday night, on Idols final audition episode, from St. Louis, we met Johnny Keyser. And sometime Thursday, I think Johnny launched a website. I had visited his Facebook page earlier today…
American Idol saved one of its best female voices until last, introducing us to Lauren Gray as the show-closer in Thursday’s St. Louis audition episode. Time will tell whether Idol struck gold again in St. Louis. After all, that’s where the show discovered Carrie Underwood, as we were reminded in the show’s opening segment. And…
I’m still a little baffled at what was going on in last night’s Portland auditions. We met 10 contestants. Of those, one hailed from Philly, one from Brooklyn, one from New Jersey, one from Boston and one from Clarksville, Md. What? Did a bunch of East Coast singers all of a sudden decide to take…
If you’re like me, you were awfully close to cursing Sara Bareilles during the Portland audition episode of American Idol. I mean, Brittany Zika opened the show, and her segment had all the earmarks of an Idol tryout about to become a train wreck. There was the dream sequence. If you watched the show, you know…
Top 11/12 — Disqualified Top 13 — Knocks Me Off My Feet Semifinals — Dance With My Father That segue on American Idol’s Portland episode tonight was just too good to be a mistake. First, Ben Purdom of Philly murdered Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” and got dispatched without a golden ticket. Next up: Towering…
