Last night on “American Idol” the judges chose seven of the twenty-four contestants who will go on to compete for America’s votes. The remaining contestants sat on pins and needles, waiting to learn their fate. The emotional agony wore everyone down, and waiting patiently grew more and more difficult with every person who walked out of the judges interview with the news that they were going forward.
Janell Wheeler was worried that after her sketchy final performance she would not go on to compete. She had little to worry about, as she was the first contestant of the night to be given the good news.
Tyler Grady confessed to Kara that he learned a lot of his dance moves watching old concerts from the 60s and 70s. Emulating idols like Robert Daltry, Robert Plant and Jim Morrison paid off, and Kara said they were looking forward to seeing those moves again when he went on to compete with the other contestants.
Lacey Brown made it to the finals last year, but was eliminated before getting the chance to show what she was really made of. She agreed with the judges that she wasn’t ready last season, but she came a long way. She wasn’t disappointed when they named her one of the final twelve female performers.
Ashley Rodriguiez, Alex Lambert and Joe Munoz were also waved on to the next round in tearful celebration before we relived the story of Crystal Bowersox. The spunky and spirited, dreadlocked mom driven by her love for her seven-month-old son, wanted the opportunity to bring mainstream music back to its roots. Hopefully, she can do just that now that she’s one of the twelve ladies lined up to compete for America’s votes.
Seventeen-year-old Katie Stevens wanted a chance to make her grandmother, who has alzheimer’s disease, proud before she became unable to remember and participate in her family’s joys. She became contestant number fifteen.
With only nine more slots to fill, those still waiting outside began to lose hope. Each person who exited the judges room with a positive, meant one less space.
Angela Martin auditioned for American Idol three times, but each time she had the opportunity to move forward, tragedy struck, blighting her dreams. Riddled with emotion as she sat down to talk with the judges, Kara went over and sat with her to comfort her while giving her the news that she didn’t make it. She was a star no matter what, and they all told her she needed to continue to pursue her dream even though she didn’t make it.
Lilly Scott blew the judges away with her jazz stylings in the first round of Hollywood finals, but her final performance wasn’t up to par. Her unique voice and style was refreshing enough for her to go on to the next round.
Paige Miles, Siobhan Magnus, Michelle Delamor, Jermaine Sellers and John Park all followed Lilly Scott to the next round.
The final two female spots open came down to Hailey Vaughn and Tori Kelley. The judges admitted that between both girls, the decision was incredibly difficult. In the end, the number twelve spot was awarded to Hailey Vaughn, and a disappointed Tori Kelley had to say goodbye.
With only two men left, and one slot open, Andrew Garcia and Thaddeus Johnson sat down with the judges to discover which one of their dreams was about to come true. Both men were incredibly talented, proving themselves again and again throughout the competition. Thaddeus was devastated when he learned that he was not going on to compete, which left the final spot wide open for my personal favorite: Andrew Garcia.
Photo via MTV
