In case you didn't know, eight years ago "American Idol" met Carrie Underwood in St. Louis. Or so the was the theme of Thursday night's final hometown "Idol" auditions, as the judges once again dropped in on the home of the Gateway Arch.
But did this season's St. Louis stop uncover a talent that is anywhere near Carrie's caliber? You be the judge!
Johnny Keyser. This Florida waiter sang "A Change Is Gonna Come"-- and for him, that may be true! Veteran judge Randy Jackson liked this dawg, saying, "Johnny in the house!" St. Louis was off to a good start with a golden ticket to Hollywood.
Rachelle Lamb. Make that a twofer. This contestant had an ex that held her back from her singing dreams, but now she's free and has her little daughter, Maddie, by her side. Cue one version of Faith Hill's "Find Somebody New," Steven Tyler's "moxie" digging, and you've got another "yes" to Hollywood. Of course, the jig was up when she walked into the audition with her daughter in tow. Do you think they really would have sent her home with her kid standing there?
Oliver McCrary. "My music is my wife," this contestant proclaimed, after belting out a really bad "Kiss From A Rose." Randy's response: "Your wife's gonna be looking for a divorce."
Reis Kloeckener. This teen detailed his bullied back story (he even considered dropping out of high school over it) but one observant school choir director changed his life. This Justin Bieber lookalike sang "Lean On Me," causing Demon of Screamin' Steven Tyler to get all misty eyed.
Ethan Jones. This poor kid was bleeding all over the stage after a forehead scratch gone awry, but it didn't stop him from delivering a decent audition. He sang Edwin McCain's "I'll Be," nabbed a golden ticket - and hopefully a band aid.
Mark Ingram. It's hard to find good help these days. Take Mark Ingram (please!), a worker at the hotel where the "Idol" auditions were being held, who decided to take an extra long lunch break and stop in for an audition. Or something like that. Marky brought the entire hotel staff in with him for his audition, so yes, Millie the cleaning lady was there and so was Han the dishwasher. But his rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed" left us anything but. Back to work!
Lauren Gray. When you think of the "Idol" Season 11 St Louis auditions, two words will come to mind: Lauren Gray. Or so says Jennifer Lopez. Yeah, this girl brought it, including a tear to J-Lo's eye after she sang Adele's "One and Only." The judges seem pleased with this find, making this St. Louis meeting a mega success.
Next week on "Idol": It's on to the Hollywood round!
You can catch "American Idol" on Wednesday and Thursday nights at 8/7c on FOX.
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