Local Auditions News (Page 2)

From California to Alabama, American Idol hopeful are lining up to audition for season six of the show. And now the same can be said about Memphis.

TV station, WMC, had the story.

Thousands of Taylor Hicks wanna-bes lined up outside and around FedExForum Friday morning to register for the auditions. Many, such as Tania Velazquez, had been in line since Thursday afternoon. She managed to make it to the front of the line.

Tiffany Wright drove from North Carolina, through Tropical Storm Ernesto, to teach her daughter a life lesson.

"You only have one chance to live," she said. "You should do whatever you can and not have any regrets at all."

American Idol was supposed to recruit in Memphis last year, but auditions were canceled in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Velazquez was ready to see the judges. "I'm ready for the criticism," she said. "I'm ready for them."

People wanting to meet Randy, Paula or Simon, though, will face additional waits. Prospective contestants have to return to FedExForum Sunday morning and sing in front of a producer for ten seconds. Then, they go in-front of an executive producer. From there, it's a few weeks before they go in front of the real judges.

It's a nationwide phenomenon, but if one city could lay claim to American Idol, it would have to be Birmingham, Alabama. Boasting two of the series' five winners in Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks, and nearly a third in runner-up Bo Bice, the city is clearly the cradle of Idols. But only this year did it get to host auditions for the coming season.

Thousands of people awoke in the pre-dawn hours and headed on down to the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center to audition for Season 6 of the hit Fox TV show.

The excitable crowd waited outside the BJCC for almost five hours before auditioning, but the wait wasn’t all bad: They were treated to an appearance by the host of American Idol, Ryan Seacrest (pictured).

Those lucky enough to impress the judges in the early rounds earned a shot at the big guns -- Randy Jackson, Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul -- and with the trio's approval, a chance to go to Los Angeles. Here's a glimpse of a quartet of contestants who made it through to Hollywood, courtesy of USA Today:

Devin Johnson, 17, of Columbus, Ga. -- A senior at Hardaway High, Devin has already been to the Idol heights... or at least the foothills. He made it to Hollywood last year in the group round, but couldn't advance to the finals. Devin, who sang the Luther Vandross version of "A House Is Not a Home" and the Donny Hathaway version of "For All We Know," said he was much less nervous this time around.

Craig Pullem, 26, from Broadview, Ill. -- This aspirant flew down for the audition to recapture past glory. He made it to Hollywood in Season 4, but lost last year in the Chicago auditions. This year he thinks he has a shot, having passed the first round by singing two showcases for '50s teen star Frankie Lymon, "The ABC's of Love" and "Goody Goody." His goal? To be the fat Justin Timberlake. Seriously.

Heather Reed, 20, of Gainesville, Ga. -- This student at Gainesville State College regularly sings at the Lakewood Baptist Church in Gainesville, Ga., before as many as 3,000 people. She found the audition a tougher challenge. "I thought I would relax, but it's a lot easier to sing in front of 3,000 people instead of two," she said, calling it nerve-wracking and exciting." Heather sang Sara Evans' "Born to Fly" and the gospel tune "It Is Well with My Soul."

Jason Qualls, 23, of Birmingham, Ala. -- A photographer/graphic designer, Jason displayed a varied musical palette. He sang Keith Urban's country ballad "Tonight I Want to Cry," The Temptations'" My Girl" and, fittingly, "Sweet Home Alabama." The judges would give hime something to shoot for, he said, asking him to vary the tempo and style.

They came by bus, car, airplane, roller skates and sheer force of will.

They wore low-cut evening gowns and hair curlers and banana suits.

And they sang, sang and sang some more.

According to the Los Angeles Daily News, as many as 20,000 American Idol aspirants began standing in line at 3 a.m. Tuesday at the Rose Bowl with dreams of landing on the country's biggest show, and becoming a star.

An audition could get them there (you never know), and this week's mark the first of seven over the next month as the search for the Season 6 cast gets underway.

"You need a lot of patience for this. But everyone's here for the same thing, so we're all keeping it positive. Being here is something to remember," said Francesca Lucioni, 23, of Pasadena, who planned to sing something from The Little Mermaid when her turn came.

By dawn, thousands stood warming up their voices, hoisting signs saying things such as "Simon for President in '08" (whether that meant surly judge Simon Cowell or creator Simon Fuller is unclear), chatting on cell phones and keeping toasty beneath blankets and sleeping bags.

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Who will rise to the top and be the next American Idol?

Who's "life is nothing but an awful song?"

The auditions for Season 6 are officially underway, with many thousands of hopefuls from in and around Los Angeles, Calif., turning out Tuesday at the world famous Rose Bowl.

Thousands of Idol potentials showed up at the crack of dawn to take a stab at their luck of going to Hollywood.

Which, for them, wouldn't exactly be a big deal, at least geographically. It's right nearby!

In any case, our friends at TMZ.com were on location and caught up with a few American Idol wannabes, some of whom shared their talents -- or lack thereof -- for the cameras.

Who will make it through to the next round of auditions and get the chance to actually sing in front of Simon, Randy and Paula? Only time will tell, but you can get a sneak peak at some of the aspirants by following the link above!

With auditions for a new season of American Idol practically underway, it's time for a little sage advice -- from some of the select few who have actually survived the early rounds and gone on to make a name for themselves in Hollywood.

"Be yourself and pick songs that make you stand out," advises Carrie Underwood (right).

"Be yourself and sing like it's your last time singing," Fantasia Barrino urges.

"Be you," suggests Paris Bennett. "And no theater songs. Boring."

Be realistic about your talent, recommends Katharine McPhee: "Don't sing Etta James' 'At Last.'"

And for those taking part in the nationwide Season 6 contestant search, which begins today in Southern California, here's a practical tip from Bucky Covington:

"Plan to go to two cities. A lot of good people get cut in the first round," he says.

A key step is, obviously, not to fake it. Know thyself, as Plato told us, and then be thyself, as Underwood et al. instruct.

In song terms, think "I've Got to Be Me" -- but don't actually sing the Broadway tune made famous by Sammy Davis Jr. Theater songs are boring, remember?

That's all well and good, but there must be more to making it with American Idol. There is a need for something more, said Season 4 finalist Constantine Maroulis, who took a break from his current tour to speak with Forbes.

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The road to Hollywood, fame and fortune begins in...

... East Rutherford, New Jersey?

That's the hope of thousands of area residents, at least, as the cavernous Continental Arena plays host to local auditions for American Idol 6.

What takes an hour or two to cover on TV is actually a marathon week that tests the nerves and voice of every hopeful singer who makes his/ her way to Exit 16W. To guide you through the process, a local publication offers the ins and outs of the auditions, thanks to insight from someone who's been through it -- JP Molfetta of Ramsey, N.J., who tried for Season 4.

According to the oddsmakers, there's a 1-in-7 chance the next cog in the American Idol machine will be at Continental Arena next week.

The road to stardom and next May's season finale begins with the audition process, and for the first time that includes East Rutherford, the second of seven cities Idol will travel to during the next two months.

Given that thousands are expected to try out, what makes one stand out? What are the steps that send someone on the road to Hollywood with a shot to become the next Kelly Clarkson (right)?

We've got you covered.

Coordinating producer Patrick Lynn, along with Molfetta and his brother Rich, who made the rounds of audition cities and got a bit of airtime in Season 4, helped map out a plan for future hopefuls:

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Tears filled Shannon Smith's eyes as she was crowned the 2006 Twin Tiers Idol Wednesday night at a mall in Upstate New York.

The Elmira Star-Gazette reports that the Breesport, N.Y., native, 19, was overcome with emotion as she was enveloped in a sea of family, friends and other contestants as they hugged and congratulated her. Portions of the Janis Joplin classic, "Me and Bobby McGee," which Smith sang twice during the contest, could be heard over shrieks of excitement.

Four weeks ago, the competition began with 20 young hopefuls vying for an all-expenses-paid trip to audition for Season 6 of Fox's American Idol. The field was narrowed down to 15, then 10, then five, and finally, to Smith.

"Excited. Overwhelmed," Smith said in describing how she felt after being handed the large Twin Tiers Idol trophy.

Next on the to-do list for Smith, who works as a teller at Elmira Savings Bank in Southport, N.Y., will be to head to East Rutherford, N.J., on August 14 to audition for the program that has made household names out of singers such as Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken.

"I think I've got to work really hard... definitely," Smith said, adding that her experience in winning the Twin Tiers Idol competition should help her prepare. "I've definitely learned that variety (in music) is a good thing, and you want to connect with your audience."

She's not kidding about the variety. Smith treated spectators to a sample of her yodeling as well as singing skills during the competition.

Wednesday's ceremony was a chance for Smith and her fellow contestants who made it to the top five -- Jeremiah Tyler, Juliana Johnson, Olivia Fagan and Katie Geary -- to have some fun. They each began by singing their favorite song from the contest, then performed a medley from the musical "Grease" with judges Brenton Sheppard and Wendy Owens.

The contestants, who grew close during the competition, as we have seen for years on American Idol, found they had plenty of support as they sang once more for fun. The crowds grew from between 400 and 600 the first week of the competition to between 1,700 and 2,000 Tuesday night, the last night for the public to vote for the Twin Tiers Idol.

"We've had such tremendous support from the community. It's heartwarming for me to know that I can help these young up-and-coming singers," said Cheryl Guild, marketing director for the Arnot Mall, the event's venue.

It wasn't just the heat of battle that 100 American Idol hopefuls had to endure Saturday during auditions in West Des Moines, Iowa. The drenching humidity and soaring temperatures made for a downright brutal competition at the Jordan Creek Town Center's amphitheater, the Des Moines Register reports.

For 100 aspiring superstars from all over Iowa, the objective was to earn a guaranteed audition for American Idol 6. That meant bringing their game faces and signing their hearts out, regardless of the adverse conditions.

"If I had known we would be outside, I would have changed," joked 23-year-old Aaron Streck of Burlington, Iowa.

As he sipped from a bottle of water, Streck's combination of a long-sleeved shirt topped with a short-sleeved one, as well as torn jeans, left him a tad warm. The heat also took its toll on the audience, with one teenage girl requiring medical attention.

The Des Moines area's local Fox affiliate, KDSM Channel 17, held open-call auditions beginning at 10 a.m. for the first round of this year's Iowa Idol competition. Similar to American Idol, the Iowa talent search, now in its fifth year, looks for the most talented musical performer in the state.

The highly-anticipated American Idol 6 premieres in January.

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