Vered “Didi” Benami
Didi’s the 22-year-old from Hollywood who got so emotional during her audition and says she sings for a college roommate who died suddenly. Here’s the rest of the story. The roommate was Rebecca Joy Lear, a singer/songwriter from Wichita, Kansas, who helped Didi develop her musical ability. According to Didi’s MySpace, they decided to stick it out together in college, though their real desire was to perform and entertain. Rebecca died in a car accident in December 2005. Now Didi wants to spread Rebecca’s music as well as her own. On MySpace, Didi describes her music as soul/country/pop and she used to have six songs there, including a great vocal on a song called “Lullaby.” The songs are gone now, a possible indication that Didi did well in Hollywood. Link: Watch Didi’s Idol audition here.
Farayi Moore
The name is pronounced Fah-rah-yee. It comes from an African dialect and means “happiness and consolation,” according to this L.A. resident’s MySpace. “It’s been suggested that I change my name due to the difficulty in pronouncing it, but I’m not sold on the idea. Unless I create some alter-ego, I think I’m gonna stick with my roots,” she writes. Farayi has three daughters and said one reason she tried out for Idol is to show them a woman can be a mom and ”still do what you love.” She classifies her music as Christian / acoustic / lyrical. Link: You can check out some of that music on Farayi’s MySpace here.
Frankie Jordan
This gal from Studio City, Calif., is back after making it to the judge’s mansion last year before being cut. She says she’s determined to make sure her personality shines through more in season nine. Frankie’s had a taste of success in the music business, releasing a pair of singles under Curb Records — “Once Again” in 2006 and “Hot Girl” in 2007. After getting the Idol boot last year, she formed a short-lived musical partnership with Daney Gokey’s friend Jamar Rogers. In her Idol video, she says she’s also a pretty good actress and would like to follow in Jennifer Hudson’s footsteps and appear “in big films.” Link: Go here to check out “Once Again” and another Frankie tune.
Kat Nestel
This singer-songwriter hails from Newport Beach, Calif., and lists among her top influences Pink and Alanis Morissette. Listen to her music, and you’ll understand. She describes it as acoustic with pop and rock influences. Kat plays piano and guitar and says she’s been playing bars and clubs in southern California for the last two years. “I’ve always known that I am here for one thing — singing and making music. I believe that my music reflects the fun, exciting, and sometimes challenging life of a 19 year old girl,” she writes in her MySpace bio. Link: Go here to listen to nine of Kat’s songs.
Kiera Masters
This 24-year-old from Salt Lake City is Hollywood bound for the second straight year. In her Idol Hollywood video last year, she listed country as her favorite genre of music, but said she likes all types. In season nine, she says she’s “determined to make the top 10, if not farther.” Kiera says her raspy voice could help set her apart and recalls getting not one, but two standing ovations when she sang a solo at her ninth-grade Christmas concert. A couple of other things you should know about Kiera — she’s good at driving with her knees, and, judging from her MySpace, she’s a huge Twilight fan. Link: Go here to watch Kiera’s Idol video interview.
Kristina Michell
Hmm, one of those name games we often encounter on Idol. Back in 2005, Kristina released a CD entitled “Just a Few Words,” which is still available through CD Baby. Only then, there was an ‘e’ on the end of her last name. She co-wrote the 10 tracks with producer Darren Bowls. At the time, she was 19 and her music was described as “a unique mixture of smooth R&B vocals and organic tracks, reminiscent of old soul music.” She has also performed at the Portland Blues Festival and calls one of those performances her most memorable. What will set her apart in season nine? “I understand the delivery of a song,” she says. “I think that’s something that’s lost in some of today’s music. Link: Go here to hear snippets of the 10 songs from that 2005 CD.
Mary Powers
This gal from Burbank, Calif., is being called the rocker chick on Idol. Hey, every season needs one. And she did nothing to dispel that perception with her rocker look or her rendition of Pat Benetar’s “Love Is a Battlefield” in the L.A. auditions. But she insists she’s more versatile than that. “When country week comes around, I can nail that. When ’70s week comes around, I can nail that, too. Because music is music and singing is singing.” Her daughter is a big fan of Simon Cowell. Link: Go here to watch Mary’s audition.
Melissa Bitanga
This teen from San Diego warns people not to underestimate her. “I might be a tiny girl,” she says. “And I’m really shy and stuff. But I’m a fighter and, when it comes to things I want, I will get it.” Well, we’ll see how that works out in Hollywood starting Tuesday. Melissa describes her music as pop and R&B and that’s accurate based on the four tunes you’ll find on her MySpace page. She says a cousin tricked her into auditioning for Idol, promising to try out for “So You Think You Can Dance” in return. The cousin reneged. “I’m still a little mad about that,” Melissa says. Link: Head here to hear those four MySpace tunes.
Olivia Geller
Back in 2007, when she was performing in the Future American Music Stars Showcase in L.A., this gal from Beaverton, Oregon, described her music as “organic R&B,” but said she likes all styles of music. Head to her MySpace and you’ll find four songs, including a cover of “Because I Love You” and an a cappella version of “Let It Be.” Her biggest influence and her idol — Mariah Carey. She even has a photo from when she met Mariah on her personal MySpace. In her Idol video, she recalls performing before her biggest audience ever at the Arlington Concert Hall in Portland, at age 12, in a tutu. No matter. “I think that was the turning point for me in deciding what I wanted to do with my life,” she says. Link: Go here for those MySpace songs; she also has several on YouTube.
Rose Flack
This gal from Post Falls, Idaho, was featured during the audition episodes in season eight, when she was living with her best friends’ family after losing her dad at age 13 and her mother following a car crash at age 15. She was featured in the Hollywood group performance episode as well, as part of Team Diva with Katrina Darrell and eventual finalist Jasmine Murray. Despite all that, Simon didn’t remember her when she auditioned this year in Los Angeles. Not a good sign. Rose kept on singing after Idol last year, performing with something called r5 Productions, which puts on motivational assemblies for high school students. Link: Go here for Rose’s season eight audition.
Samantha Musa
This 22-year-old California gal has an interesting goal. On her MySpace page, she poses this question: “Is it weird that I would love to sound like John Legend and Celine Dion’s love child? Cause that is my goal.” Samantha earned her second golden ticket to Hollywood this year. She also made it in season seven, when she and her just-slightly-more-Simon-obsessed sister has starring roles in a San Diego audition episode. Since then, she’s decided that singing is truly what she wants to do with her life. “So we will see where this newfound inspiration takes me,” she writes. Link: Go here to see Samantha’s season seven audition and here to hear the one song posted on her MySpace.
Tasha Layton
OK, Idol might be breaking new ground here with Tasha, a 26-year-old female minister who raps. According to a story in her hometown newspaper, she attended Converse College as an art major, switched to religion, moved to California and began a worship pastor at a church there. And when Idol asked what people would be surprised to learn about her, Tasha said she once sang the hook for a rap song and even performed it at a club, admitting people might find that “out of character for a minister. But I don’t think they go against each other.” She sang “Baby, Baby, Baby” for her audition and, no doubt, she can sing. Link: Go here to see her audition.
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