Week Four recaps
Seventh City: San Antonio, Texas Bryan Kyrish Contestant #44706 Age 27, won grand prize in a mock American Idol, sang “Rebel Yell” by Billy Idol, from San Antonio. Rejected. Haley Scarnato Contestant #50411 Age 24, sings in a wedding band, sang “I Can't Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt, from San Antonio. Accepted, going to Hollywood! Jasmine Holland Contestant #37925 Age 22, she was shy and Randy started chuckling right away, family had sign:"JASMINE'S ARE NEXT AMERICAN IDOL", wore T-shirt: "PEACE Pure Love", sang “Nobody’s Supposed To Be Here” by Deborah Cox, from San Antonio. Rejected. Baylie Brown Contestant #38625 Age 16, country girl with fashion, would rather be in the city, sang “Stronger” by Faith Hill, from Krum,TX. Accepted, going to Hollywood! William Green Contestant #44183 Age 25, had sunglasses and baby blue cap, Akron Watson's cousin, sang “Amazing Grace” real slow & out of tune with a deep voice, trash-talking for the camera coming out the door, from Dallas,TX. Rejected. Akron Watson Contestant #44185 Age 23, William Green's cousin, Sang “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke, from Dallas,TX. Accepted!...but not going to Hollywood. Disqualified. He was on Dallas news saying he got disqualified, not knowing why. He said something about a marijuana arrest, but that the AI producers were aware of that beforehand. LaRisa Curry Contestant #37927 Age 19, wearing orange pink and green, from Weimer,TX. Rejected. Deborah Tyler Contestant #38656 Age 18 (but looked more like 28), sang Vogue” by Madonna,Simon asked her what happens when she sings in public, and she said, " a few people cry...", from San Antonio. Rejected. Sandie Chavez Contestant #38674 Age 21, sang for mayor of Houston, sang “Black Velvet” by Alannah Myles, Simon: "Worst news is she's a music teacher", from Houston,TX. Rejected. Ashlyn Carr Contestant #48682 Age 18, she got beat up as a kid for singing good, sang Michael Buble's version of Nina Simone's “Feeling Good”, judges said "no" then changed their mind and called her back, then she sang “Inseparable” by Natalie Cole, her facial expressions took away from the singing, from Sugarland,TX. Accepted, going to Hollywood! Jacob Tutor AKA "Jake the Snake" Contestant #49139 Age 21, scraggly facial hair, sang "...Down in the darkness...", from San Antonio. Rejected. Jimmy McNeal Contestant #44712 Age 23, "a little fun Reuben", sang a medley of “Another Saturday Night” and “Cupid” by Sam Cooke, Simon:"Good, authentic, likable" from Waxahachie,TX. Accepted, going to Hollywood! *** Best of the Rest Episode Lesson 1: The Look Christa Fazzino Contestant #23229 Age 19, wearing black-n-white checker pants with red scarf and red high heels, Simon said she looked like a dust-catcher, sang "...I can't do this anymore, I can't do this to myself..." she auditioned in Birmingham, from Port Royal, SC. Tami Gosnell Contestant #51637 Age 29, Pedi-Cab driver, lip-ring on middle of bottom lip, sang Whipping Post, auditioned in Memphis, from Lafayette, CO. Lesson 2: Seek Inspiration Paul Kim Contestant #74201 Age 25, Asian, inspired by William Hung, sang SHAI's If Ever I Fall In Love, auditioned in LA, from Saratoga, CA. Jack Odanovich Contestant #38793 Age 25, ears, inspired by Bo's acappella performance, but didn't sound like Bo, Simon: "You are incredibly deluded", from San Antonio, TX. Lesson 3: Never Give Up Gina Glocksen Contestant #53750 (picture from Season 5 audition) Age 22, wearing bumble-bee shirt, forgot her lyrics in Hollywood last year, sang Black Velvet, auditioned in Memphis, from Naperville, IL. Edward Sanchez Contestant #48569 Age 26, liked Paula a lot and got a hug before he sang, sang Donna, from San Antonio. Lesson 4: Audition On Your Own Heather Rennie Contestant #75164 Age 20, sang God Bless The Broken Road, from Hacienda Heights, CA. Ashley Cleland Contestant #75163 Age 17, sang SARAH McLACHLAN's Angel, from Cypress, CA. Ebony Jointer Contestant #75162 Age 23, sang WHITNEY HOUSTON's I Believe In You & Me, from Hacienda Heights, CA. Faithon Gooding Contestant #22891 Age 28, wore yellow shirt & brown cap, sang Do It, Do It To Ya, from Birmingham. Melissa Ferlank Contestant #33885 Age 27, sang Flow This Deserti, from Minneapolis. Brandon Reid Contestant #6017 Age 28, beatboxer, sang Talk To Me (Baby Girl), from NY, NY. William Emil Samland III AKA "Wes" Contestant #72717 Age 28, bald guy wearing gold shirt, sang a song he wrote "Don't Worry, Don't Hurry", from L.A., CA. Lesson 5: Shake Your Money Maker Alexander Nazario Contestant #57669 Age 28, flexible dancer, originally from Puerto Rico, sang Making Love Out of Nothing At All, auditioned in Memphis, from Nashville, TN. Lesson 6: Clarity Contestant #50099 Auditioned in San Antonio, sang "Let's Stay Together". Contestant #76948 Auditioned in Seattle, sang "Annie's Song". Lakisha Jones Contestant #8292 Age 26, wore orange blouse, sang Aretha Franklin's Think, auditioned in NY, from Fort Meade, MD.

American Idol 6, February 6: Deep in the Heart of Texas by Betsy Wasser -- 02/07/2007 As the song goes, the stars at night are big and bright deep in the heart of Texas. When American Idol goes to San Antonio for auditions, will they find the next big, bright star? Welcome to San Antonio, Texas and the latest round of American Idol locations. We see tons of Idol hopefuls sleeping outside in the middle of the night. People drove from all over the country to get there, and the crowds are huge – 11,000. The judges roll in, including Simon who deadpans, “Whoopee.” Ryan explains that Simon flew in from England and is jetlagged. The first contestant, Brian, isn’t intimidated, saying that Randy and Simon “put one leg in their pants” just like the rest of us. Paula, on the other hand, must dive into her pants in an amazing feat of gymnastics. He figures the judges will either love him or hate him, and that he is “loud and profound.” We see him dancing, and it looks like it would hurt. He tells Ryan that he is “an aggressive performer.” Brian tells the judges that he won a “mock American Idol,” so he should be pretty good. He sings Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell” through gritted teeth, with lots of yelling and fist pumping. Randy and Paula pump their fists along with him while he screams, but Simon just looks bored and taps his pen. Paula can’t believe it doesn’t hurt his voice singing like that. Simon cuts to the chase and says it was “a lot of shouting without a lot of melody.” The judges say no. Simon wonders what the contestant who lost the mock Idol was like. Before he leaves, Brian sings the Ozzy-Lita duet “Close My Eyes Forever” to Ryan with a creepy glassy-eyed stare. The next contestant, Haley, is very pretty and used to sing in a wedding band. She’s worried, but still pretty confident and determined to keep trying. She hopes that today is her chance. For some reason, Randy wants to make sure Haley meets Paula. Haley shakes Paula’s hand, and Paula admires Haley’s outfit, a very sexy outfit. “I think I can see her ovaries,” comments my husband. Haley wins my heart by saying that she bought it at “one of those hoochie stores.” Randy then wants her to meet Simon, so there’s more hand shaking. Paula tells her she’s very pretty. As for the singing, it’s good too. Randy stares at her, transfixed. Simon looks slightly less annoyed than usual. When Haley’s finished, Paula admires her control, but Randy thinks it was just okay. Simon agrees, but thinks it lacked originality. She can sing, but is she unique? Simon says yes, because she deserves a second chance. She’s through, just as one might expect given that she’s very pretty and was wearing an outfit from a hoochie store. The waiting rooms are a huge party scene, but singer Jasmine is nervous about the crowds. Her family thinks she’s got what it takes to win. She looks nervous as can be, and Paula asks her if she’s a little shy. Randy clucks sympathetically, but Simon could not care less, saying, “Off you go.” She sings, and it hurts, nasal and off key. Simon tries not to laugh, and Randy tries and fails. Paula scolds them like the mama hen she is sometimes. Suitably shamed by Paula, Randy apologizes. Paula tells Jasmine it wasn’t the best, and that she seems sad. Jasmine says that’s because the judges are being rude. Simon isn’t having it—she came in of her own volition, everyone who auditions thinks they’re a good singer (which I question), and it’s just not true. Jasmine doesn’t think they should be so negative and tells them they’re entitled to their opinion. She questions Randy’s credentials, saying she never heard of him before Idol. She leaves, and as the door closes, Simon says, “Okay, yes or no?” Jasmine, tears running down her face, says that the judges shouldn’t be so critical. Who are they to judge? Oops, that was just me. She then goes on a rant about how Simon isn’t even American. What is he, French? Ryan says he’s British, prompting Jasmine’s mother to say that he should “fly back to British.” Ryan’s heard enough and says, “Those are my friends… two of them, anyway.” That was cool of Ryan to say. I know that he, Randy, and Simon have guys’ nights pretty often. Baylie Brown is from a town that is actually called “Krum.” Awesome. She lives on a farm, but is a little scared of the horses. She thinks she’s a city girl, trapped in a country town. She loves fashion and her mom says that makes her stand out. She’d be in her element in Hollywood. Baylie sings “Stronger,” and her voice is sweet and clear without a lot of unnecessary embellishment. Randy tries to chat about farm life with her, but Simon wants to move things along. He says she was born to be a pop star. Her voice isn’t great now, but will be in a few years. She is “a record label’s dream,” and the judges assure her that’s a good thing. Paula admires her outfit and wishes she had a cool name like Baylie. Baylie is, of course, through to Hollywood. Ryan introduces us to the judging room doors, a source of comedy all season. Time and time again, contestants face the humiliation of a failed audition, only to have it compounded by trying to leave the room through the locked one of the double doors. We see a montage of people trying to get through the doors as “Push It” plays. Paula says “other door” will be the theme for the season. Both Simon and Paula get the wrong doors. Then, amazingly, one contestant breaks through the wrong door, much to the astonishment of the judges! Akron and William are cousins, and both of them are determined to win. Akron says that he is Bruce Banner and William is The Incredible Hulk. Akron plays an invisible violin as William talks about how his aunt took him in and never asked for anything. William tells us they’re both unemployed, so they really need this. William the Hulk is up first. He takes off his sunglasses and smiles at the judges. He sings “Amazing Grace” so badly that Randy starts laughing right away. It is slow and painful, like Brad Garrett from Everybody Loves Raymond, only more so, if you can imagine that. Paula is laughing too, but Simon just looks pained. Randy says he was afraid the song was going to take a couple of days, and Simon says it was “never ending.” William says that Akron is the better singer, much to the relief of the judges. It’s a no, which William takes well. But then he tells the judges that he is going to yell some stuff for the camera on his way out. He does, and it’s hilarious. Akron gives him a big hug, then walks nervously into the room. Akron is indeed the better singer of the two. He sings Sam Cooke, and his voice is cool, with a real gospel influence. Simon thinks he’s a good singer, but lacks charisma. He found himself bored. Paula says his voice was “a very nice surprise.” To keep Simon from being bored, he launches into “Let’s Get It On” and sounds outstanding. That’s all Simon needs to hear, so he says yes. Paula agrees, and he’s through. It was nice of William to lower the bar for him by auditioning first. Akron goes flying out of the room into a big hug from William. William says that his cousin is “talent, right here.” It’s time for a montage of bad singers, starting with Larisa who is dressed like I was in my neon phase, circa 1984. Deborah screeches out “Vogue,” and Simon is not surprised to hear that sometimes people cry when she sings. Contestant Sandie says she has a bluesy voice and has been singing since she was six. She sang for the mayor of Houston, and Ryan tells her to impress “the mayors of Hollywood.” She’s going to sing “Black Velvet,” which is pretty much always bad, but not quite as bad as this. It’s lots of guttural noise, most of it impossible to understand. It goes on for way, way too long. Simon tells her that it was “literally like some language I’ve never heard in my life.” He asks if she was serious, which reduces her to tears and makes her even harder to understand. Paula says sympathetically, “You don’t have to apologize at all.” Simon answers, “Well… she does, a bit.” Paula punches Simon, of course. Simon declines her offer of a second song and says it didn’t work. Randy tells her that it wasn’t good, and Paula tells her to be grateful for her career as a teacher. She tries, sadly, to leave through the wrong door. Simon is horrified to see that she is a music teacher. Ashlyn says she was beaten up in high school for having a good voice. She wound up with a concussion and a black eye. She sings “Feeling Good” and her voice is super gorgeous and cool. It makes me want to bash her head into a locker. Just kidding! The one thing that is weird is that she makes all kinds of strange faces and moves her mouth oddly when she sings. Simon says her voice is unique, but isn’t a fan of her facial expressions. Randy doesn’t know what to think, and Paula says that Ashlyn needs to watch herself perform so she can see those distracting faces. That’s good advice. Randy says she’s not ready yet, and Paula agrees. Simon says he would have said yes. Her humiliation is compounded as she pushes the wrong door. She gets a big hug from her dad, and the judges seem to really feel badly about this. Simon thinks they made a mistake, and Randy asks them to bring her back in. Unprecedented! Ryan chases her down, and she walks back to the room. That’s got to be hard, because that girl is still crying. She says that she understands their criticism and will try to change. Ashlyn’s second song is not completely devoid of weird facial expressions, but it seems to be a little better. Simon tells her that she has very bad habits, worse than she knows, but she is unique. Randy likes that she’s different, so he says yes. Paula tells her that she can break her habits and should try to do it before she goes to Hollywood. Ashlyn is too stunned to be excited, but when she walks out the door, she does a little dance. Jacob tells us that his nickname is “Jake the snake,” and that entertainment is in his blood. He tells Ryan that he’s influenced by Kurt Cobain and Axl Rose. Ryan suggests Celine Dion, and Jacob does not see the humor in that. He sings creepily and quickly is dismissed. Jacob ends by cussing out the judges, but tells Ryan that he’s awesome. Jimmy is the final contestant, and he is great. He sings a medley, including “Cupid.” Paula is grinning from ear to ear, as she always does when she hears a good male contestant. Simon compares him to “a little fun Ruben.” He’s good, authentic, and likeable. Paula is so enthusiastic in her yes that she does a little dance. Jimmy gets his golden ticket and hugs from his family. Ryan tells him to explain what happened to the little girl with them. Jimmy bends down and tells her happily, “I’m going to Hollywood!” She shrugs and says, “So?” All told, 22 people from San Antonio made it to Hollywood. Tomorrow night, we’ll see the best of the auditions – the good and the bad.

American Idol 6, February 7: As Good (And Bad) As It Gets by Jenn Brasler -- 02/08/2007 Even after seven episodes of auditions, there are still some singers left unseen. Some are very, very good, and some are… well, not so good. Which category does Tami Gosnell fit into? Next week we’ll watch 172 people struggle through Hollywood round. Before that, however, we get to see some of the auditions we didn’t see before. Tonight we get the best of the best and the worst of the worst (yeah, there’s more bad out there. Surprised?). Seven audition cities have turned out more auditioners than we could see in just seven episodes, so this episode is a catch-all for the rest. Plus, we get some auditioning lessons from Ryan. Lesson one: the look. There are so many auditioners out there that you need something that will make you stand out. Take, for example, Christa, who, despite the fact that she says she feels excited, looks like she’s going to a funeral at a burlesque house. She warbles something unrecognizable and Simon says she’s ridiculous. The judges send her on her way. Christa says she can do this and this is who she is. Paula changes her mind but Randy and Simon don’t. In Memphis, Tami Gosnell, a pedicab driver from Denver with a great personality, sings the Allman Brothers’ “Whipping Post.” She has a great bluesy voice with a lot of control. (A quick Google search turns up the info that she’s already an established singer and songwriter with a CD called “Star Satellite.”) Simon likes her because she’s different; he thinks she would have been a big hit in the ‘60s. Randy loves her tone. All three judges give her yeses. As Ryan points out, skills trump crazy clothes. Lesson two: seek inspiration. An Idol must be inspired (even if it’s by David Hosselhoff). L.A. auditioner Paul Kim is inspired by William Hung. Um… okay. He says there aren’t enough Asian entertainers out there, so I guess he had to settle for William. Paul is a pool boy. I’m staying away from that. You’ll be happy to know that Paul is much, much better than William. He sings “If I Ever Fall in Love Again” wonderfully and the judges (with guest judge Olivia Newton-John) all say yes (though Simon wants Paula to hurry up and get to the point already). Fortunately, this means that other aspiring Asian singers now have someone other than William Hung to look up to. Jack Odanovich likes Bo Bice and tries to replicate his a capella performance from season 4. He’s off-key, and Simon tells him he’s deluded. Still, Jack wants to never, ever give up. That happens to be lesson three. This season brought out a lot of repeat auditioners, including Gina Glocksen, who made it to Hollywood last season. I remember the name but not the singer. Apparently she’s developed a pretty big fan base since her first audition. She’s also still in love with Simon. Paula thinks she’s just kissing up. Gina sings “Black Velvet,” and though I like her voice, I think I like her personality more. Simon says it was a good audition and he likes that Gina has soul and taste. Gina asks if she can hug him, but Simon thinks that she should wait to hear about Hollywood first. Randy likes Gina’s voice, though not her taste in men, but he thinks she’ll learn. It’s three yeses and another chance for Gina, who also gets her hug. Gina’s Simon love leads to a montage of auditioners talking about how much they like the Brit and dislike Randy. Paula, it appears, is the most loved of the judges. One of her biggest fans is Edward Sanchez, who wants Paula to teach him how to dance. In the audition room, he says he’s there to see Paula. Yeah, this is going to be a bad audition. He reminisces about MC Skat Kat from Paula’s “Opposites Attract.” Edward sings “Donna” off-key and they let him go on way too long. Paula obviously doesn’t want to say anything bad about the guy who loves her so much, so she just says that she feels loved. Unsurprisingly, the judges pass. Edward is just happy he got to meet Paula. Time for the day-job montage we see every season! We even get footage of past Idol contestants working. Three carhops illustrate lesson four: audition on your own. They’re there together, but they’re not going to sing together. One seems to think she’s qualified to be the American Idol because she’s American. Nice. First of the three is Heather Rennie with “God Bless the Broken Road.” She’s okay, but she won’t be giving Carrie a run for her money. Ashley Cleland sings Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel” and is better, but still not that great. Simon is bored. Finally, we hear Ebony Jointer’s “I Believe in You and Me,” and she’s definitely the best of the three. Simon tells her she could sing the phone book and it wouldn’t matter. Then he tells Ashley and Heather to go back to work, but Ebony shouldn’t be a roller-skating waitress. All of the judges give nos to Heather. Ashley gets yeses from Randy and Olivia, but Paula tells her not to wear so much makeup. I agree. There’s some laughter over Paula’s “motherly advice.” Eventually, Ashley gets enough yeses to go through. Ebony, however, gets all yeses, so Heather is the only one who has to go back to work. Ryan gives us a little recap of the five Idol debut singles, then tells us about this season’s songwriting contest. We get to hear some songs that didn’t make the cut, namely bad songs sung in weird auditions. The weirdest is from William Emil Samland (AKA Wes), a songwriter and singer who auditioned in L.A. It’s called “Don’t Worry, Don’t Hurry,” and it’s like a rock and roll inspirational song. Also, Wes should stop calling himself a singer. The judges all say no. Lesson five: shake your moneymaker? Just because Taylor danced doesn’t mean everyone has to. Well, the girl who does gymnastics and the splits can do whatever she wants, if you ask me. Everyone else needs lessons. Especially Ian Benardo. Why must he keep appearing on my TV screen? Hey, there’s Napoleon Dynamite and Jon Peter Lewis’ kid! Alex Nazario was inspired by Paul and MC Skat Kat, so he shows off some dance moves in the audition room. His singing could use some work. Um, a lot of work. Alex says he doesn’t have the money to learn how to sing. Yeah, I guess that’s the problem. Randy thinks Alex would be better in a theme park. Simon says he won’t ever be a good singer and needs a reality check. Yes, because if this show is about anything, it’s reality checks. (Actually, it kind of is. It’s just that no one ever cashes them.) Alex at least gets a hug from Paula, a handshake from Randy, and an “other door” from Simon. Lesson six: clarity. That lesson isn’t very clear, actually. This leads to a round of “Name That Song.” Some guy yells something about wanting to spend his life with someone. It turns out to be “Let’s Stay Together.” A girl sings “Annie’s Song.” Sort of. Sandie from last night slurs through “Chantilly Lace.” Eh, I wouldn’t have recognized that one anyway. Lakisha Jones recognizes that she has a gift and she wants to share it with the world. She’s there both for herself and her three-year-old daughter. She sings “Think” (love that song) and give Mandisa a run for her money. This is top-ten material here, people. Simon loves her, too. The judges are unanimous and send a very calm Lakisha through. Well, she’s calm till she hits the hallway and celebrates with her family, including her cute daughter Briana. They both cry happy tears. We’re almost done with the audition rounds, but first we have to thank everyone who auditioned. Hi, Sean/Castro! Hi, Darwin! We get a montage of crazy confessional dancing, wigs, and various other shenanigans. There’s Chris Sligh, my newest TV crush! Margaret/crazy yellow lady. The non-Taylor Hicks. Sherman Pore. Someone who convulses. Randy and Paula sharing a tender moment. Simon trying to get Eric back to tease him. Crazy non-singing Sarah. Isadora/“Julie.” Rachel the military girl. Ian again. “Eccentric.” That guy who juggled. Ah, memories. Next week, it’s finally time for the Hollywood rounds! Ryan tells us this season has the most talent ever. The lucky singers who got this far are going to be in for some harsh words from Simon and some tough times on stage. It’s guys vs. girls, and Ryan tells us things will be more ruthless than ever. 12 guys and 12 girls will be left in the end.