The final auditions have begun! It's more of the same really, but the knowledge that this is the final time we'll get them, and judges and producers reminding us of this at every turn, does bring on the melancholy.
Some highlights from Atlanta, Georgia and Denver:
Michelle Marie, a Daytona Beach, Fla., 15-year-old who Connick said he thought people would go “absolutely nuts” for.
Josiah Siska, a Dacula, Ga.,18-year-old who turned in a strong Johnny Cash-style "Riders In The Sky." “We’ve never heard anything like that,” Connick said, expressing admiration for Siska’s a “commitment” and musical know-how.
Lindita, a 26-year-old personal trainer, originally from Kosovo, who had lost 150 pounds to prepare for her audition and who collected a golden ticket with "It's A Man's Man's Man's World."
The very real dealLee Jean, a 15-yearold from Bluffton, S.C., who has the goods, man. Inspired to audition by an older brother who believed in him and who died in 2012, he played the guitar as well as he sang. And he sang well.
Jeneve Mitchell, a 15-year-old, cello-playing singer who lives where there is no electricity, and they use a generator to watch one show and one show only. That show? Well, "Idol" of course! She made it through, largely due to the plucky way she hammered that cello, but probably won't last long.
Sonika Vaid, 20, who came all the way from Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., to tackle some Carrie Underwood. Beautiful, beautiful voice.
Reanna Molinaro, 24, a police officer from Hobbs, N.M., whose audition almost got completely derailed by Connick's buffoonery. She nailed Patsy Cline’s “Leavin’ on Your Mind,” but like Mitchell won't be around long.
Several returning contestants, including Kory Wheeler, who came back to give it another shot with "Bennie & The Jets." This time he made it through, as well he should. I thought he sounded great.
Joshua Wicker, a 25-year-old expectant dad from Jacksonville, Fla., sang Rihanna’s “Stay” and collected three yeses.
Jordan and Alex Sasser, a married couple from Raleigh, N.C., wins the award for Most awkward Moment, with their baby daughter in tow and one getting through while the other did not.
Honorable Mention: Kanye West's "audition." The seemingly unexpected audition capped the Wednesday night episode, and was probably orchestrated by Seacrest, who stood alongside West's wife, Kim Kardashian, star of the reality series Ryan created. It began with promise, with West bursting through the doors, introducing himself, and saying no one's ever believed him. But then it went downhill, with a hastily written and performed rap and some truly awful Kim acting.
American Idol odds to win on FOX will be first released by BookMaker. Cash in on futures odds to win the award-winning reality TV show by opening an account at BookMaker now! Now you can wager live while the episode unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
Need to fund your account before the big night but don’t have your computer? No problem, BookMaker Sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone.
Don’t miss out on getting paid because you couldn’t bet, click here and deposit at BookMaker now! American Idol airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET. The show will be broadcast nationally on FOX.
