Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Lionel Richie was right about this: American Idol seems to have discovered lots of young talent again in Season 16.

Two of the most impressive auditioners Sunday night were 16-year-old females, Riley Thompson and Madison VanDenburg.

Madison hails from Cohoes, N.Y., and hit so many glory notes during her audition, Katy Perry was calling her the next Kelly Clarkson.

Riley from Mabank, Texas, is fresh of USA Network’s “Real Country” and showed off vocals that sounded older than her years, in a very good way.

Among the guys, 21-year-old hardware store worker Shawn Robinson was a standout among the new voices we heard.

But the big news among male contestants might be the return of a voice we were introduced to in Season 16.

Laine Hardy showed up at the auditions to play guitar for friend Ashton Gill; they’re both graduates of French Settlement High School in Louisiana.

But the judges wouldn’t let Laine out of the room without a song, then convinced him to take a golden ticket.

They also raved over his newfound confidence. They didn’t mention the fact that he’s amassed a fan base that should make him a Season 17 favorite if he makes it to the voting rounds.

Here’s a recap of Sunday’s show. Following the links will take you to artist profiles for some of the singers.

Ashton Gill, 20, Livingston, La.
Occupation: Bridal Shop Association
Background: She graduated from French Settlement High School in 2016, two years before Laine Hardy, who did so well last year o the show. She’s a nursing major at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, La. Oh, and Idol tells us the first concert she ever went to was Hannah Montana.
The audition: Ashton sings “Broken Halos.” She displays a nice tone. Luke calls her voice “pretty.” And she’s off to Hollywood.

Season 16 standout Laine Hardy, meanwhile, graduated from the same high school and traveled to the audition with Ashton to support her. He insistd he wasn’t auditioning for the show. But the coaches asked him to sing for them before leaving the audition room, and he responded with a cover of “The Weight.” Impressed, the judges offered Laine a golden ticket. His response: “It sure is shiny.” And guess who changed his mind about Season 17? That’s right, Laine Hardy.

Austin Michael Robinson, 15, Van Alstyne, Texas
Occupation: High school student
Background: He says he’s a small-time country boy. He works around his family”s farm. Austin says he likes to consider himself a cowboy, but his family doesn’t have any cows.
The audition: Katy calls him a country Justin Bieber. He’s singing “Your Man” by Josh Turner. Austin shows nice potential. Katy thinks he might need more seasoning and votes no. But Lionel provides the yes that gets Austin to Hollywood. Honestly, I would have sided with Katy on that one. But Katy winds up getting lassoed by Austin anyway.

Jake Puliti, 20, Etters, Pa.
Occupation: Shoe store employee
Background: Idol tells us Jake loves to watch Bob Ross (the painter) before bed because it helps him sleep. He’s a 2016 graduate from West Shore High School in York County. He has a chicken coop he turned into a recording studio. And he released two singles last year — “Dirty on the Dance Floor” and “Night’s Still Young.”
The audition: Jake is singing “This is How We Do It.” He has Katy Perry dancing to his audition. In fact, she did The Worm while Jake sang. Luke compliments Jake on a “great voice.” Katy thinks his tone is “amazing.” Jake gets three yeses to advance to Hollywood.

Shawn Robinson, 21, Atlanta, Ga.
Occupation: Hardware store associate
Background: Surprise, working in a hardware store isn’t his dream job. He wants to make music. Idol tells us the first CD he ever owned was Destiny’s Child
The audition: Shawn auditions with Jessie J’s “Who You Are” and quickly displays the best new voice we’ve heard tonight. Lionel calls his voice “butter” and says he’s in love with his personality. Katy thinks he has a “beautiful presence” and is “a ray of light.” He’s an unanimous choice to advance to Hollywood.

Nate Walker, 18, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Occupation: Singer
Background: He grew up singing in choir with Gabby Barrett. And it sounds as though she’s given him some advice on navigating American Idol. His grandad is his musical inspiration.
The audition: Nate sings “Say Something.” Nice tone, but a few too many frills right off the bat. Okay, make that way too many frills. Wow, such a lovely song, and it was barely recognizable in Nate’s hands. But Lionel says he’s “anointed.” Which means Nate is Hollywood bound.

Wade Cota, 27, Pheonix, Ariz.
Occupation: Musician
Background: Wade says we grew up with next to nothing, but said his mom, a single parent, would always figure it out. He says his biological father beat his children and wife. On a lighter note, Idol tells us Wade can recite the entire balcony scene from “Romeo & Juliet”
The audition: He performed “Blame It on Me” and showed off a nice raspy voice. Most importantly, he’s got a distinctive sound. Luke says there’s a lot of character in Wade’s voice. Katy says she’s a “hell yes.” Lionel says the panel loves Wade.

Riley Thompson, 16, Mabank, Texas
Occupation: High school student
Background: Idol barely introduces Riley, but she’s got an impressive resume and appeared on Realy Country just a couple of months ago. Idol does tell us the first concert she ever went to was Taylor Swift.
The audition: She sang an original called “Oh Daddy.” She’s 16, and there’a a really seductive, unique tone to her voice. Lionel says her sound is way beyond her years. Katy calls her a country Lana Del Ray. She soars through to Hollywood. That was really impressive.

Peter Lemongello Jr., 19, Boca Raton, Fla.
Occupation: Singer
Background: His dad was the first person to sell over one million albums on TV. He couldn’t get a label to sign him, so he went on TV with late-night infomercials to sell his albums. Apparently, it worked.
The audition: He auditions with “I Can’t Help Myself.” And he’s not putting a new spin on it at all, but his vocal sounds solid. Lionel wondered how a 19-year-old got locked in the 1950s. Lionel says no. Luke says no too. The only yes he got was from Katy. Hey, he can always make an album and try selling it on TV.

Clay Page, 24, Elberton,, Ga.
Occupation: Singer-songwriter
Background: He started playing guitar when he was 9. He credits his late uncle for teaching him guitar and giving him a start in music. The first concert he ever went to was Lee Greenwood and he was called up on stage.
The audition: He auditions with Thomas Rhett’s “Die a Happy Man.” And he delivers an excellent country vocal. He got even stronger as he went along. Katy called him “real country.” Luke likes his smooth delivery and said he’s “sold completely.” He sails to Hollywood.

Drake McCain, 17, Spring City, Tenn.
Occupation: High school student
Background: He comes from a town with two stoplights and a Piggy Wiggly, which is where he works. He has 10 siblings and says none of the fathers are in the picture. Drake says music is what he turns to to cope. He’s tearing up just walking into the audition room.
The audition: He auditioned with “His Eye is on the Sparrow” and shows off a really powerful voice. Katy joins his on vocals for the second verse. Katy liked the tone in his voice and quips that he’s bagged a trip to Hollywood.

Madison VanDenberg, 16, Cohoes, N.Y.
Occupation: High school student
Background: She says she’s been in music her whole life and gigs a lot. Idol tells us she can say the alphabet backwards in under five seconds.
The audition: She performed “Speechless” on the piano. Oh, yes, this young lady can sing. So far, the Idol gals have impressed me more than the guys on Season 17. This young lady has range and power. Check out that audition below. How many glory notes did Madison hit? Lots. The judges give her a well-deserved standing audition. Katy said Madison gave her goosebumps for the first time in Season 17 and calls her potentially the next Kelly Clarkson.

Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon, 25, Catonsville, Md.
Occupation: church janitor
Background: He’s the son of a pastor. He’s the janitor at his dad’s church. Idol tells us he loves to paint in his spare time. He’s also gay, which made growing up in church less comfortable. He came out to his family about three years ago.
The audition: He’s singing an original called “Almost Heaven,” a song questioning whether there’s a spot in heaven for people like himself. It’s a touching song. Lionel says he needs to give up the janitor’s broom and focus on singing. Katy was really impressed. Lionel says he has incredible range. And he advances unanimously.