Alex Nester
This Simi Valley, Calif., resident is a singer, songwriter and cancer surviver. She was diagnosed with cancer back in 2000, at age 16, shortly after winning outstanding female vocalist honors at the Los Angeles Music Award. After chemotherapy and a year-long battle with the disease, she was declared cancer free. “That gives you a whole new perspective on life,” she says in her Idol video. “It makes you a better writer. It makes you a better musician. It makes you a better person.” She describes her music as soul / R&B / Christian and released a 15-track CD, “Rattle the Walls,” in January 2009. Link: Go here to listen to nine tracks from the album, all co-written by Alex.
Haeley Vaughn
The Fort Collins, Colorado, teen got rave reviews from the judges in Denver for what I thought was an overrated version of Carrie Underwood’s “Last Name.” She says the fact that she’s a black female singer who wants to sing country/pop, not just R&B and soul music, should set her apart. She was born prematurely, weighing 2 pounds at birth; then lost her father at age 10. He was a singer, and she says she thinks she got some of her voice from him. Link: Go here to watch Haeley’s Idol audition.
Jessica Furney
She was born in Wamego, Kansas, home of the Wizard of Oz Museum, and she’s a golden ticket recipient for a second straight year. On her Web site, the 21-year-old says she combines a “love of old rock and blues with her knowledge of jazz and country to create a unique and diverse sound and style that is all her own.” She writes music, too, and says she wants to be an all-around artist, not just a pretty face who can sing. “I think that’s a little overdone,” she says. Link: Go here to hear five of her songs, including a cover of “Bobby McGee.”
Kelly Bachran
This gal from Salem, Oregon, says she tried out for Idol because she “was finally at a place in her life where she could pick up and leave everything” to devote herself to the competition. Besides, her best friend agreed to tag along. She calls herself the wedding singer because she sings at so many. “I think it’s really cool to be part of, potentially, the biggest day of someone’s life.” She had also been a member of at least two bands, playing keyboards and singing backup vocals for a Christian rock band called Communion and performing with a cover band, Big Night Out. Link: Kelly sings, “That’s It, I Quit,” in this YouTube video.
Kim Kerbow
We met this 24-year-old college student during the Denver audition episode, when her 5-year-old daughter proudly proclaimed that her mom is the “next American Idol” and when Kim changed the lyrics of “The Way I Am,” offering to buy Simon some Rogaine … when he starts losing his hair. Simon proclaimed her “trouble,” but voted to send her to Hollywood anyway, proving flirting has its benefits. In truth, Kim says she’s a nerd who loves books. She’s also a past winner of the Southern Colorado Idol competition. Link: Go here to watch Kim’s Idol audition.
Lilly Scott
This Denver gal says people take one look at her and think she’s a punk rocker. She says she’s not, preferring more indie, folk rock and classic rock. She’s the former lead singer for a Colorado-based group called Varlet that played just that type of music. The band released an EP called “I Win” at some point, according to its MySpace page. At age 5, Lilly says she sang the national anthem in front of thousands of people at Mlle High Stadium. “I’ve been performing ever since.” Link: Go here to hear Lilly singing a number of songs with Varlet.
Maddie Penrose
This girl from Murray, Utah, is an interesting case. In her Idol video, she says she looks like a good girl, but hangs out with “gangsta” kids and does “weird stuff.” In the next breath, she says she’s friends with David Archuleta, who I’m pretty sure is about as un-gangsta as you can get. As for music, Maddie plays the drums, piano, guitar and likes to beatbox. As for her singing, I can’t find any samples, but she says she has a unique sound. Link: Go here for Maddie’s Idol interview.
Margo May
This 23-year-old from Kansas City says she started writing music at age 11 because she was inspired by the Beach Boys’ harmonies and wanted to write some of her own. She’s been working on an album that would be released under the name Margo May and the Honeybabes and classifies her music as indie, folk and soul. She has an interesting sound, especially on “Wake” and “Blue Shoes,” two songs earmarked for that aforementioned album. They definitely have a quaint sort of appeal. She’s also a golden ticket recipient for a second straight year. Link: Go here to listen to five of Margo’s songs.
Moorea Masa
Another familiar face in Hollywood, this Portland, Oregon, resident teamed up with Danny Gokey, Jamar Rogers and Taylor Vaifanua in the group round last year and thinks that experience will pay dividends in season nine. She classifies her music as alternative / soul / pop and has several songs posted on her MySpace. She says she has a stage mom and recalls smiling the first time she was “put” on stage, then crying as soon as she left it. She’s clearly come a long way since then. Link: Head to Moorea’s MySpace; the best song there is a duet with an unnamed guy on a song called “Closer.”
Nicci Nix
Don’t let that helium voice fool you, Nicci Nix isn’t fooling around. The 23-year-old California gal appeared on MTV’s “Making the Band” with P. Diddy, has appeared on several other MTV shows and on NBC’s “Fear Factor.” She released a single in 2007 called “Sexcessful Virgin” and an EP last March called Nix Mix. Her MySpace promises music that “is fun, spunky, and free-spirited with both electronic dance grooves and rock beats.” In her Idol video, Nicci says she doesn’t drink, do drugs and, at least at that time, didn’t have a boyfriend. Link: Head here to listen to several songs off that EP, which is available on iTunes.
Tamra Salmon
From the sounds of her Idol video, this Albuquerque, N.M., gal tried out for the show in a past season and failed to make Hollywood. And, judging from a Calvary of Albuquerque church Web site I found, it sounds as though Tamra had a part in recording a 2006 Christmas CD with an outfit called Albuquerque Musicians for Christ. Tamra says she’s the oldest of 17 grandchildren, that her most memorable performance was singing the national anthem at her high school and that she’s learning to play the guitar. In her MySpace bio, she says music: “is a way to hear from God. Writing a song cleanses me and makes me fresh, ready to face the world. … I’m supposed to be a singer.” Link: Go here for Tamra’s Idol video interview.
Tawny McCorkle
Love that name, right? This 2001 graduate of Burbank, Calif., is another attractive blonde hoping to follow in the footsteps of Carrie Underwood or Kellie Pickler to a career singing country music. In fact, she says watching Kellie in season five was her most memorable Idol moment. Tawny says she’s been following the show for all eight seasons while doing her own thing with singing. “But it hasn’t taken off, so I wanted to try season nine.” She placed second in a solo singing competition in St. Louis as a sophomore in high school. Link: Go here to hear two songs by Tawny.
Tayler Bledsoe
She is a former student of the Wildflower School of Voice in Boulder, Colo., and has performed at the Nomad Theatre there. In addition to singing, she says she enjoys film scoring, composition and plays the piano and guitar. Back as a youth, she says her mom didn’t know she was taking singing lessons … until she took the stage to sing at her fifth-grade graduation. I don’t have an age on Tayler, but she must be among the younger contestants. She says watching Jordin Sparks win season six was her favorite Idol moment. “Seeing a minor win something so big, it really brought hope to all of us. Link: Go here for Tayler’s Idol video interview.
Tori Kelly
This gal has been groomed for the Idol stage. She sang with David Archuleta on “Star Search” when she was 10. She sang with Jordin Sparks on “America’s Most Talented Kids” when she was 11. She tried out for Idol the first year she was eligible, meaning she’s 16 or 17 now. Most impressively, there are 10 songs on her MySpace page, and Tori says they “are written, produced and recorded 100 percent by me.” On MySpace, she classifies her music as pop/R&B and soul, but she says she’s versatile enough to sing all genres. Link: Go here to listen to those 10 songs. Check out “Tongue Tied” and “You Caught Me.”
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