AMERICAN IDOL IN HOLLYWOOD

There are 172 hopefuls and only 5 days in which to prove they have what it takes to get through to the final 24!

Day 1 – Contestants were placed in groups of 6 and sang individually for 30 secs. The girls went first and then the guys.
The first group all forgot their lines in one way or another and they were all told to pack up and head home. The judges are not going to have much tolerance during these five days and Simon warned all the others…that if they forget their lines, it’s the end of the line for them!

Since we weren’t able to see all the performances, the show touched mostly on those we had come to know a bit more, during the auditions. Rachel, whose husband is stationed in Iraq, didn’t make it to the next round. Perle, the vivacious Columbia Diva did make it through, but Simon told her that she would have to tone it down a notch or two. She is too over the top. Bailey Brown, the Country girl and one of my favorites, as well as Simon’s…made it through, They showed Nicole Turner having a struggle with her Mom and Aunt, about a song selection. In the end, she sang what they wanted and didn’t feel she put her heart into it. Sure enough, it wasn’t good enough for the judges either and she was sent home. Suddenly…..her Mom walked out onto the stage, to try and plea her case for the daughter. Simon kept saying it wasn’t the song…it was her singing, got frustrated and walked away. Nicole came back to stress her point as well and you could hear a faded voice in the background yelling…”IT WASN’T THE SONG!” End of story.
Of 114 girls competing, 57 made it through to the next round.

There are not nearly as many guys competing, so it gives them much better odds.

Brian sang A Long Time Coming and he made it through. Jarrod, from the USS Ronald Regan did not and I did feel badly about that. Do you remember Matt, the 16 year old who called his folks after getting through the audition? Well, he made it through and once again, called his parents. He explained that before this, they weren’t supportive of his singing, but now they were. He said he felt loved! He cried after the phone call and said, “My Mother loves me now.” How sad is thatL Phil Stacy, the guy whose wife gave birth to their child on the night of his audition, made it through, as did Sean, our Castro…whatever lookalike….lol 92 contestants in total, survived the 1st round.

They moved on to group night, which in my opinion….is the worst part of this entire competition. You have to attempt to bond with others – in groups of 4, with those you don’t know and there are always personality conflicts and the ones who do not either take it seriously or give 100%....but you have no choice.

Best friends Antonella and Amanda formed a group with Bailey and there were struggles. Bailey wasn’t part of this and sat quietly, while the other two argued. Tempers were flaring in Perle’s group. She couldn’t get the hang of harmonizing and her group was getting frustrated. As it turned out…to name a few…..Matt was sent home and once again I was saddened by this. Perle was sent home as well, but not a surprise.
There was a group of 4 guys who sang and they were incredible! They sang as if they had been together forever. No one forgot their lines and their choreography and harmonizing was right on! Paula gave them a standing audition and said they brought down the house….One guy I want to pay close attention to is Thomas Lowe….1. because he is talented and 2. because he is from Boston and I have to root for my home town!
Remember these name: Chris Sligh, Rudy, Thomas Lowe and Blake

Teddy Bear Jason made it through, but Simon told Paula that she was being generous with him…in her decision.

The biggest shock of the night was that Bailey Brown was sent home. She could not remember the lyrics and although Antonella & Amanda didn’t perform well either….they were put through to the next round. Simon had stated that Bailey was the complete package and had the “it” factor. She was commercial with a capital C. I hope someone with clout, who has any wisdom….will pick this girl up and sign her to a contract. I know she is only 16 and can try out next year and I know rules are rules…..but in the case of extreme talent, I think in some cases, the rules could be bent just a bit.

Just 56 are left and the final cuts will come tomorrow night. We will then know who our final 24 are…….12 girls and 12 guys.

Stay tuned for more of Idol Boot Camp!