American Idol 7 Audition Episode 4 1/23/2008

Beat me up later, I realize I am very late in posting my comments but life and time got away from me.

On Wednesday evening American Idol found its way to Charleston, South Carolina. It was the show’s first visit. We are told over 10,000 people came out to audition.

Our first contestant was Oliver Highman but his audition was postponed because his wife was 37 weeks pregnant and her water broke. We get to follow Oliver and his wife throughout the episode. Isn’t this like Phil Stacey from last season?

Ray Henderson or as he prefers Raysharde (what is up with that) is the first contestant we get to actually see auditioning. He advises us he is unemployed and a complete nut, he is always smiling. He is referred to as the black Clay Aiken. Heaven help us. Ray goes with “I Can’t Make You Love Me”. I can tell tonight is not going to be good. Raysharde was completely over the top and what is with all those gestures. Give me a friggin break. He was doing way too much so there wasn’t anyway to really tell what the tone quality of his voice was. Randy indicated it was way too over the top. Paula said it was too theatrical and not pop. Simon indicated it was like a 70’s cruise ship cabaret. Randy tells Ray to find himself and not mimic others. Ray goes home empty handed.

Next up is DeAnna Prevatte, she made sure everyone understood it is deAnna with a Capital A. DeAnna compares herself to Kellie Pickler, this was my first clue something is amiss. She loves her song “Little Red Shoes”. I also had to endure watching the Kellie Pickler calamari clip again and all I could do was shout NO NO NO NO! DeAnna is a waitress. Simon asks her who her worst customer was and she went on a tirade about all the Sunday all you can eat buffet crowd. This went on way too long lets just get to the train wreck and yes I knew it wouldn’t be good.

DeAnna went with “Fancy” and all I can say is she has great volume because she was shouting the song. In addition like Ray before her she was way too manic in her movements and she got down on the ground like Fantasia, something I hated then and still do. Simon tells DeAnna she is like a tiger but angry and she pipes back that it is suppose to be an angry song. She gets a NO from all the judges.

The next contestants get a lot of air time I could have done without. Crystal Ortiz and Randy Stark met on americanidol.com message board and became close friends, developed an on-line relationship and they met for the first time in Charleston and we got to see the very spot it occurred and they re-created the moment. Lots and lots of footage of them playing tongue hockey! Randy advises us he gives audition advice on the message board. I could see how this was going to turn out from a mile away.

Crystal and Randy go with “She’s More”. It was shockingly horrible. I thought Ray sounded like Tiny Tim; there was this horrid echoing sound from his voice. Crystal asks if she should sing at family gatherings and Simon answers no. Simon indicates the audition was complete torture, it was horrible. The couple get a no from all the judges but they tell them at least they found each other (gag me). Crystal comments she now realizes her parents had been lying to her when they said she was good. Lesson learned!

Michelle and Jeffrey Lampkin are next, brother and sister who are definitely not Donny and Marie. The time spent on Jeffrey’s outfit wasn’t needed but he needs a stylist. The siblings choose “I’m Your Angel”. Jeffrey actually has a very good tone to his voice; I thought he was singing in a too high register though. Michelle was okay but there was no wow for me on either one. Jeffrey and Michelle also were way over the top with their gestures as well. Simon indicates he didn’t like the ending but compared to what they have seen they were a breath of fresh air but liked Jeffrey more. Paula indicates Jeffrey has a beautiful tone and gives them both a yes. Randy indicates they were in pitch but only gives a yes to Jeffrey. Simon sides with Paula and gives them both a yes but advises Jeffrey he needs to get Michelle into vocal shape before they arrive in Hollywood.

We are then presented with a parade of obvious no’s butchering “Before He Cheats”.

Amy Catherine Flynn is next. Amy is an obnoxious cheerleader who leads a group teaching abstinence (her arguments were stupid but I digress). Amy went with “Reflections”. I wasn’t particularly impressed by Amy, her audition was okay but I was not wowed. Simon advises the song was too big for her. It was like “a naughty girl singing in the bedroom.” Simon states there will be those who like her and those who don’t (count me in that category) because she is overly confident and annoying, you are not as good as you think you are. Randy likes her voice and feels she has potential. Paula indicates there were moments at the end which were beautiful. The judges give her a yes and Amy is going to Hollywood. Simon and Randy encourage her to give her abstinence speech to Ryan.

Our last contestant of day one is London Weidberg. London lost her father to cancer 3 years ago and put music aside to take care of him. There is lots of footage of London and her mother Robin is thrown in as well. London chooses a song which is outside of the usual which was at least a breath of fresh air. She goes with “Good Morning Heartache”. I actually enjoyed the audition. She has a very nice voice but I don’t think she can win. Randy indicates she has a nice tone, not the best audition but he gives her a yes. Paula states her tone is engaging as it has a pop quality but also a bluesy feel and gives a yes. Simon liked the audition but doesn’t feel she is unique enough but gives her a yes. London is heading to Hollywood!

Day one ends with a montage of all the other contestants heading to Hollywood. A total of 15 were given a golden ticket.

Day two starts with Lindsey Goodman, an Air Force pilot. We get a lot of footage of planes, her base, and others in her unit. Lindsey goes with “Black Velvet”. A song I really like. Lindsey was not good, her voice was quaking, and she wasn’t always in key. It may have been her nerves but if you can’t sing for 60 seconds for these three you couldn’t survive on stage before a thousand people. Randy indicated it was a little pitchy but he liked it overall but has to say no. Paula indicates she is concerned about her nerves; it held her back and also says no. Simon indicates she would be a good cabaret singer but not a contemporary artist and also says no.

Aretha Codner is the next contestant. Aretha gets lots of air time and we have to hear her mother named her after Aretha Franklin because she loved her voice so much and wanted her daughter to sing like her. I don’t even have to hear her to know how this is going to go. I don’t want to offend but let’s just say Aretha is very well endowed in the chest area but doesn’t know how to dress. I am not quite sure where she was getting support. Her dress was clinging and what was up with that huge belt.

Aretha tells the judges she is as good as all the past idols (this won’t be pretty, don’t boast like that it always gets you into trouble). Aretha is going with “I Have Nothing”. Now I know it will be horrible because she goes with a song done by Whitney Houston. Her audition was the bottom of the barrel. She was all over the place, her voice sucked, her tone, she was off-key and again with the overpowering gestures. Randy indicates she was hard to listen to, it was way too high of a register, Paula indicates she changed keys, it was pitchy and Simon indicates she was screaming, it was terrible, it was murder.

Naturally Aretha fights back and disagrees, she has a beautiful voice because her family tells her so (enablers!) and she stops crowds with Simon piping in so they can disappear. Aretha will just not shut up and indicates she has heard the people they have let through to Hollywood and she is better then they are. Simon finally has to tell her to leave. Her exit wasn’t pretty.

Joshua Boson is the next victim. Joshua is another deluded soul. Joshua chooses “I’m Telling You I’m Not Going”. He is the second male choosing this song. I realize this is a genderless song in words but it is so tied to Effie in Dreamgirls! If you didn’t catch this audition you are lucky. This was my fingers down the chalkboard moment. Joshua murdered the melody and the key it was in and another contestant with over the top performing gestures and movements. The judges are speechless and he offers to sing something else. Please no! He offers to the judges that he has had no formal training as if it wasn’t obvious from the moment he uttered the first note.

Simon indicates he wasn’t great, Randy indicates it is not good enough and all Paula can say is that he was passionate. Joshua then goes off indicating the auditions are fake and rigged, they should not come back to South Carolina because this is what they will get. As he leaves more shouting, lots of cussing, and he advises he doesn’t want to be an American Idol but rather the World Idol. The joke will be on the judges.

We are then presented with a montage of contestants who get a No.

Our last contestant of the 2nd day is yes you guessed it, Oliver Highman whose wife did have the baby, a girl. I don’t remember hearing the name though. Oliver chooses “Get Here”. The sad thing is I think Oliver has a nice voice but he went in the totally wrong direction for the audition. He was going with way too many modulations, he was using a very bad falsetto and he was over the top with performance movements. Simon indicates it was corny and over the top, Randy didn’t like the vibrato and falsetto, and Paula indicates he has a nice vote but it didn’t work. Oliver is at least gracious and asks if his wife and baby can come in which of course they say yes. We get the ohs and ahs over the baby and Oliver thanks them and indicates at least they have a great story to tell.

The episode ends with a montage of the contestants who got their golden ticket, we don’t hear their auditions, just see them celebrating as they come out of the room.

A total of 23 people were given that coveted golden Ticket.

Next Tuesday we are off to Omaha, Nebraska.