But you probably already knew that ;) Here's my take on
Season 9's rumored top 24!
Top 12 Guys
Aaron Kelly: 16 years old from Sonestown, Pennsylvania. Up and comer in the country world. Winner of Disney World's American Idol Experience attraction. Season 9's answer to David Archuleta ;)
Alex Lambert: 19 year old from North Richland Hills, Texas. Not bad vocals, but he forgets the words to his original tune in his demo video. Can you say Jason Castro?
Andrew Garcia: 23 year old from Moreno Valley, California. Really impressive audition with Maroon 5's "Sunday Morning". A definite favorite to go far in the competition! Even if his glasses remind me of Danny Gokey.
Casey James: This guy is adorable if you are into the blonde and scruffy (OK - I am!), and rounds out the look with a pretty cool alt/rock sound. Great with a blues guitar too! Unfortunately Casey has generated some controversy with some criminal charges related to DUI and driving with an invalid license back in 2001-2002. I'll be surprised if he's not still in it towards the end though.
Chris Golightly: Chris has a "nice" voice and quite a back story... growing up in a number of foster homes. Call me crazy... but something about the look in his eyes reminds me of Kevin Covais.
Jermaine Sellers: A former BET "Sunday's Best" talent show contestant, 26 year old Jermaine has been caring for his mom since her spina bifida diagnosis. His rendition of "What If God Was One Of Us" for his AI audition was awesome.
John Park: The frat boy from Northwestern University is this season's Anoop Desai. He sailed through the call back auditions with guest judge Shania Twain's endorsement of his "bottom end."
Joe Munoz: 19 year old Jose (Joe) is a two-time auditioner from Los Angeles. He sings in English AND Spanish, and plays guitar. Not much else available on him and he has not been featured in any of the episodes that have aired to date.
Lee DeWyze: The Chicago singer/songwriter headlines a band with a Dave Matthews sound. Lee's enjoyed some local success and can be seen on Chicago's local ABC affiliate every Sunday at 10:30 CST. This contract ends once the live show begins if Lee indeed has made it into the top 24.
Michael Lynche: Rumors of "Big Mike" being disqualified before his top 24 announcement is even official have run rampant all over the Internet. Supposedly, he was disqualified after his dad confirmed his top 24 position to their local St Petersburg, Florida newspaper. The suspense is
KILLING ME! Especially after we practically watched his baby's birth during Hollywood week!
Tyler Grady: AKA the guy with the broken wrists. Tyler did a great job with Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" during his audition. The judges also loved his retro 60s look with pointy shoes and bell-bottom jeans, comparing him to the late Jim Morrison.
Todrick Hall: Auditioning in Dallas with a self-composed tune describing the reasons he should be sent to Hollywood, Todrick was a hit with the judges. His performing background includes a role in ''The Color Purple'' with ''Idol'' winner Fantasia Barrino and appearances in the stage versions of ''High School Musical 2'' and ''Beauty and the Beast'' at Disney World. According to votefortheworst.com, Hall allegedly participated in the scamming of parents who claimed they paid for their children to have a role in his original production of ''Oz, The Musical''.
Top 12 Girls
Ashley Rodriguez: Breathtakingly beautiful with a gorgeous voice, Boston's Ashley Rodriguez was a favorite of Simon's in the callback auditions.
Crystal Bowersox: Just one word -- INCREDIBLE in a very Melissa Etheridge kinda way. Single mom to a 7-month old son, singer-songwriter Crystal hails from Chicago. Definitely one of my favorites to go a long way in the competition.
Haeley Vaughn: 16 year old Haeley is an aspiring black mainstream pop country singer from Denver. Born prematurely and weighing two pounds, Haeley considers it a miracle to be alive and is absolutely adorable.
Janell Wheeler: 24 year old Tampa native Janell reminds me a bit of former ''Idol'' contestant Kristy Lee Cook -- very country with a great big twang. To me, all of her videos sound rather similar... so the voting audience (if she gets that far) might find her dull.
Katelyn Epperly: Currently the lead vocalist and pianist of the band Katelyn & the Bruises, an indie, folk and experimental group, 19 year old Epperly hails from Iowa and is auditioning to make her mom happy during her parents' divorce. She sang "Syrup and Honey" by Duffy in her Chicago audition and really put her heart into it. She's not been featured at all during Hollywood week.
Katie Stevens: 16 year old Middlebury Connecticut native Katie auditioned with "At Last." Her backstory featurette included shots with her grandmother, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease and may not remember her for very much longer.
Lacey Brown: Returning season 8 contestant Lacey Brown has an edgy sound that is popular today. She was featured on the February 3, 2010 show singing a unique rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," and received a "yes" vote from each of the four judges.
Lilly Scott: Indie acoustic rocker Lilly Scott is even edgier than Lacey Brown. Prior to auditioning for ''Idol'', she fronted the local band Varlet in her hometown of Denver, Colorado.
Michelle Delamor: 20 year old Miami native Michelle is a music major at Miami Dade College. She auditioned in Orlando with "Chain of Fools" and was a unanimous vote to continue on to Hollywood. She has appeared as a backup singer on JoJo's "If I Wrote a Note to God," and has performed in a variety of shows in south Florida.
Paige Miles: 23 year old Houston native Paige Miles was first featured in Neapolitan's group number during Hollywood week. Of course there was the usual drama as they duked it out with Destiny's Wild, both choosing to perform Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance."
Siobhan Magnus: Massachusetts native Siobhan Magnus shaved her head bald for her Boston audition. She was also not featured until the Hollywood group round where she was part of Destiny's Wild opposite Neapolitan with Paige Miles. Should make for a cozy and friendly top 24...
dontchya think? :)
Vered Didi Benami: Former cage fighting hostess and waitress Didi Benami was featured in a 2009 swimsuit calender with Survivor winner Paverti Swallows. Unless something substantial happens and she falls apart, she's my pick to win. You heard it here first ;) Yep - I know it's early in the game... but I picked Carrie Underwood after her callback audition, too!
In any case,
Season 9 of ''Idol'' remains all about the girls!
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