Another night of AI auditions last night as Idol visited Salt Lake City, home of last years runner-up David Archuleta (and yes Kimmy…I do LOVE saying and typing that!), the Mormon religion, 3% beer, High School Musical, and……The Osmond Family. As with the last few auditions, not a ton of talent at all….only 13 contestants got tickets punched to Hollywood, so San Francisco is still safe with the lowest # at 12.
(Kim's note: Eddie, I'm a little scared for ya, even I didn't know SLC was the home of High School Musical!)
Of the 13 moving on….and as every other show we only got to see a few….here’s my thoughts from the land of shiny, happy people…..
· David Osmond…Another Osmond breaks into the musical spotlight! He’s the son of Allen Osmond, an original Osmond, and one of MANY in the family. He’s also battling MS, as the dad has for the past 21 years! Having NEVER been an Osmond fan, have to feel good about the kid battling MS and trying all this. Thought he was pretty talented, looks good and sounded good, so with the Osmond name behind him, he’s in my Top 24….after all….it’ll equate to RATINGS points for FOX-TV and AI in February thru May! (Boy, Eddie knows his Osmonds!)
· Frankie Jordan…. Stay at home, 23-year old mom, very confident in her singing ability, who sings an Amy Winehouse song, and sounds just like her! This girl is HOT, and even looks like Amy Winehouse, just way more attractive….but let’s hope not as odd as we get to know her better in the coming weeks! I think she could go very deep in the competition….a lock for my Top 24! (Eddie, for the record, saying a girl looks like Amy Winehouse is NEVER considered a compliment!)
· Megan Cokrey…..Another young mom who just went through a divorce, cute girl with lots of support. She’s got a ‘sassy jazzy broadway voice’ that’s quite unique, memorable in a good way I guess. She’ll make it through Hollywood into the Top 36…maybe even Top 24….I’m just not totally sold on her nearly as much as Simon seemed to be.
· Austin Sisneros….A 17-year-old with a minor lisp, who is the senior class president at his school. Sings a very good ‘Train’ song, which I thought he did very well, unlike the judges, though all put him through, even Simon, who I really believe was quite annoyed by this kid. Certainly a nice, motivated HS kid, but think he’ll struggle mightily making it through Hollywood next week!
· Jarrett Burns….Thanks to Fox’s stupid producers, we only see about 5 seconds of this kid! Seems like he has a BIG voice, but sings Eddie’s ‘Least favorite -most hated-way overused’ song ‘Girl Put Your Records On’…..not even sure this kid got a ticket to Hollywood or not!? I’m hoping that after the song choice…..NO!!!
· Taylor Vaifanua….A BIG girl (tall, she’s a 5’11” giant from Samoa) who’s family moved back to Utah so she could get noticed for her singing. Don’t worry, at 5’11”, you can’t miss this chick!! She’s 16, but looks 26, probably because she’s so TALL! She sings a very spiritual/religious song about God, which is odd for auditions, but has a decent voice and all the judges, esp Kara, liked her. Doubt she’ll go far, but she’ll certainly be noticeable in Hollywood next week. Did I mention that she was TALL??!! :-0
· And THE BEST OF THE NIGHT IS…….drum roll please……ROSE FLACK! Final contestant of the night, a hippie-looking, 17-year old chick. Tough life too…..her dad, a hippie, died when she was only 13. Two years after her dad died, her mom died in a car crash. Ouch!! Only immediate family is her brother, who's still around and seems supportive. She currently lives with her best friend and her best friend's family. She's really cute, and quite likable. Simon thinks she looks terrific. She sings "I Feel the Earth Move," by Carole King. Not your typical voice, but memorable, with great tone, and she knows how to sing. If she can get by with the hippie look not being too much of a distraction, think she has the whole package, and she's only 17. She gets four YES’s, and she's going to Hollywood. Top 12 for sure IMHO! Keep an eye on this girl!
The bottom line….Though only 13 were ticketed for Hollywood, I think this audition will be remembered for all the ‘unique and memorable’ voices, and I think several of the chosen few in Utah will go deep in this competition!

FAST FACTS: President Obama provided some solid competition for "American Idol" in the prime-time ratings for the week of Jan. 19-25, but still was trumped by AI. ABC's "Neighborhood Ball," was seen by 12.6 million people, according to Nielsen Media Research. It competed directly against AI. "Idol" won easily, but its Tuesday night audience of 22.8 million was clearly affected by interest in the new president. Television's most popular show rebounded to draw nearly 26 million people the next night!
So…..as if the one hour audition episodes aren’t RUSHED enough, tonight we get to see two city’s auditions get squeezed into 60 minutes. NY City and San Juan, PR, take center-stage tonight Should have been at least a 90-minute show…..but I’ll wait and see what the talent is like and how many get thru to Hollywood before I complain any longer! More of ‘Eddie Idol’ chatter to come tomorrow……..after the last two auditions before Hollywood Hell Week next week……so until tomorrow….’Eddie Idol’…….OUT!

Sorry this is so late everyone -- it's my fault not Eddie's! BTW Eddie, loved your description of Taylor ... but is she tall?

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