Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Kayla Thornton has a more unusual story than most on how she wound up at the American Idol Season 11 auditions.

She couldn’t afford to make it to one of the audition sites, so she wasn’t going to try out.

But her dad kept encouraging her, then sold some cattle to pay for her trip to the Portland auditions.

Kayla — hometown Thayer, Kansas, and now a resident of Tulsa, Oaklahoma — makes another reference to her farm-girl background in her golden ticket interview.

Asked what makes her unique, she says “a lot of my friends can’t believe I run heavy machinery and combines and work cows.”

But don’t let all that fool you.  Kayla, 25 at the time of the Idol auditions, isn’t a musical novice.

She’s been singing with The Zuits, a Tulsa-based swing, funk and jazz band, and you can watch some of her work with the group in the video below.

She told Idol she first sang for an audience in fourth grade at a church in Thayer.

Given her background, it’s not surprising that Kayla’s favorite former Idol contestant is Carrie Underwood.

“She’s from a small town in Oklahoma and a farm girl, and that’s me.”

As for why she should be the next American Idol …

“I’m a hard worker,” she says.  “I have a strong support system.  And I don’t believe I’ve reached my full potential yet.”

Now, Kayla with The Zuits.

“King of Swing” and “Why Don’t You Do Right”

“Summertime”