Only eight guys got golden tickets during the Chicago auditions, and one of those was later dropped from the competition because of concerns over his visa.
That would be Keth Semple, singer for a group called 7th Heaven. You can go here to learn more about Keith.
Meanwhile, here’s a look at the seven guys from Chicago as the Hollywood Week round began.
 John ParkThis is the guy Shania Twain went absolutely gaga over during the Chicago auditions, when he sang “More Than You’ll Ever Know.” He’s a junior at Northwestern University, where he performed as part of an a cappella group, Purple Haze. The group released a pop CD, “Mosaic,” in August that’s available on iTunes. But John, 21, of Evanston, Ill., says his most memorable performance came as a senior in high school, when he was asked to sing the national anthem in front of an audience of about 2,000. He also told Idol his parents were very against him pursuing a career in music, preferring instead that he go to college and graduate to a real job. Links: Go here to watch Shania go gaga again; go here to watch him sing “Falling Slowly.” |
 Justin RayWe spotted Justin briefly during a montage that also featured the aforementioned Keith Semple and Marcus Jones during the Chicago audition episode. Idol’s blue bar identified the 20-year-old from Merrillville, Ind., as unemployed. Frankly, Justin worried me. I was afraid he’d become the next Nick Mitchell. In his Idol interview, he says he created a character named Margaret Von, “a 70-year-old smoker woman,” whom he portrays. Then he portrayed her. Fortunately, Idol opted not to go down that road in season nine. Links: Go here to watch the audition; here to watch Justin’s video interview. |
 Kenneth EllisI simply can’t find much information on this guy. He’s 19. He’s from Chicago. We didn’t see even a glimpse of him in the audition room, so I’m not sure what he sang. From his Idol video interview, I can tell you this. He says he’s also good at basketball and acting. He tried out for Idol because he believes it’s a great way to kick off a career in singing. He has metal plates in his jaw that sometimes set off metal detectors. No joke. And one of his first performances was as a young boy in church when he was to sing “I Believe I Can Fly.” All he knew were the first two lines, so he says he kept singing them over and over until the chorus came. Link: Go here to watch Kenneth’s video interview. |
 Lee DeWyzeThis guy hasn’t been featured much — not like John Park, for instance — but he might be one of the stronger male contestants in season nine. We finally met him in the “Road to Hollywood” episode, when he performed “Ain’t No Sunshine.” More impressively, he’s released two full CDs as leader of the Lee DeWyze band — “So I’m Told” in 2007 and “Slumberland” last year. Both are available on iTunes, so you can head there and hear snippets of lots of this guy’s songs. Much of his music is acoustic in flavor. He told Idol he accompanied a buddy to the auditions. What sets him apart? “I totally know this is what I’m supposed to do,” Lee said in his video interview. “There is no backup plan.” Links: Go here to watch Lee’s audition; go here to watch him perform “Predicament,” one of the songs off “So I’m Told.” Pretty impressive. |
 Marcus JonesThis 19-year-old from Gary, Ind., earned a golden ticket with a rendition of Edwin McCain’s “I’ll Be” during the Chicago auditions. According to a story on nwi.com, he and his family are members of the Family Christian Center in Munster, Ind., where he was involved in many of the church’s theatrical and musical productions. He told Idol he has wanted to try out for the show since the very first season. In addition to writing music, he counts poetry and Kung Fu as among his special talents. He’s been practicing Kung Fu for five years, he says in his Idol video interview. Links: Go here to watch Marcus’ audition; go here for his video interview. |
 Nick LynchWow, read this guy’s MySpace and you’d figure we have a platinum artist in the making. I mean, it says as much. On MySpace, his music is classified as pop/rock and we learn that Nick is working on a debut album, or at least was before Idol. He’s 24 and from Watseka, Ill. He tried out for Idol in two previous season and made it to Hollywood last year as well. One of his dubious distinctions: Being stuck next to bikini girl in last year’s auditions. Such a terrible fate for a young guy, huh? His MySpace says he has “a voice that has almost unparalleled flexibility in style and range” and that “he may best be described as one of the truly outstanding male vocalists of his generation.” Link: His MySpace is devoid of music at the moment, but there are lots of YouTube videos of Nick performing, including this cover of Journey’s “Open Arms.” |
 Sean ButlerAnother guy who’s something of a mystery to Idol viewers, because we haven’t seen much of him. Sean is 22 and from Springfield, Ill., where he performs with a R&B, jazz and soul group called Kapital Sound. The group has been performing under that name since 2007 and also does all other types of music, according to its MySpace page. In his MySpace video, Sean says he tried out in the past and just couldn’t give up and that he’s motivated “by a lot of people who don’t believe in me.” Among his special talents: He gives African drum lessons. Link: You won’t find music on the Kapital Sound site at the moment, but there are several videos of Sean Michael Butler singing with the group on YouTube. Here’s a link to a performance of “Me and Mrs. Jones.” |
American Idol Chicago John Park Justin Ray Keith Semple Kenneth Ellis Lee DeWyze Marcus Jones Nick Lynch Sean Michael Butler
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