Home > Blogs > Reality Bytes > Archives > 2009 > January > 21 > Entry
Louisville’s got talent for American Idol
Louisville, home of the Kentucky Derby and southern charm, produced over 11,000 people waiting to sing and pronounce Louisville on national TV.
18-year-old Tiffany Shed makes her Mom’s heart melt and Daddy proud when she sings Mariah Carey…but she just made my ears burn. I can’t imagine that these people actually think their daughter can sing. Have they never heard real music?
Another Momma’s girl Joanna Pacitti, 23, is a veteran of an attempted singing career at 16, but “it just didn’t work out.” This darling girl with a really big voice cried crocodile tears of joy as she takes the judges compliments and the yellow ticket to Hollywood after singing Pat Benatar’s We Belong. I like this one.
Bad luck follows Mark Mudd, age 25, who has almost died five times and is hoping this audition will turn his luck around. He sings a very twangy George Jones’ White Lightning. He is even too twangy to sing hidden deep in the mountains with bluegrass singers and that says something. As he walks away from his chance at stardom, he tells the judges to “be careful.” They ask him what he means and he just repeats several times that they should “be careful.” He’s a little creepy this one.
Brent Keith Smith, age 28, sings Bad Company’s Can’t Get Enough of Your Love and his big dimples and sweet smile doesn’t over shadow his easy soulful style. Simon gives him a hard time about his song choice and Kara threatens to not talk again because Simon interrupts her, but in the end…they all say yes and off to Hollywood he goes.
Montage of silly singers that include tone deaf and Minnie Mouse and a guy who crosses his eyes, a sparkly headed black and white man and finally a very large man attempting to channel Michael Jackson…both singing and dancing. Oh my.
Dueling piano player Matt Giraud from Kalamazoo, Michigan gets four yeses after singing Gavin DeGraw’s I Don’t Want to Be. What he needs to walk away with is a boost of self confidence according to the judges. I personally think it takes a lot of self confidence to just get on that audition stage in front of these judges, but I can see their point. Another unique, but nice voice on this one.
Ross, the 26-year-old nerd’s dry throat just really ruined his voice for the day and after taking a really long pull on Paula’s beverage, he again attempted Cara Mia from Jay & the Americans still sounded just awful, making me giggle at the extent of his horribleness. He says the rejection didn’t really surprise him but then he further humiliated himself by singing out with the other contestants. Poor nerd.
Alexis Grace, a 20-year-old from Memphis, is a stay-at-home mom who is high on the sweet and adorable meter. The little blonde belts out an Aretha song and surprises the judges a bit. However, before coming to Hollywood (she got four yeses) they want her to avoid pink and “dirty up.” Kara told her to go home and “make love” to her fiancé and little Alexis was concerned that may be on TV. Like I said, sweet. Tis the season of sweet.
Aaron Williamson is a ball of energy from Louisville. Whoa! This kid screamed “Christian Clearwater Revival’s Have You Ever Seen the Rain” yes, that’s exactly what he said. Under all that energy was just another really sweet kid who brought just a bit too much intensity for the judges liking.
Rebecca Garcia came with a cheat sheet wrapped around her arm in case she forgot the lyrics to Carrie Underwood’s Before He Cheats. Well, she messed up the lyrics even with the cheat sheet but worse than that was the odd little squiggly, octopus type dance thing, Kara reads that she was considered a comedian in school and accuses her of trying to be funny. Then Rebecca breaks out in tears and the judges realize it wasn’t a joke. As she walks away with her mother, she questions the judges advice to just quit singing…why do I have a feeling there is more heartbreak in the future for this one.
A wonderful montage of great singers that includes our guy from Hamilton, Ryan Johnson. What little we got to hear seems pretty promising.
The show ending tear jerker is Laneshe Young who was raised in and out of homeless shelters. She decides to sing an original song called Natty and I worried for a second. But only a second. She was wonderful. Simon thinks she is quirky, fun, current and compliments her on her song writing skills. She is young, confident and just adorable. I think I’ll have to put her on my favorites list for this year.
As the list of great singers grows, next week we are off to Jacksonville…
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Comments
By Kitten
January 22, 2009 3:27 PM | Link to this
Erin- I also tell people to “be careful” that is normal in our part of the country. However, as a college educated woman, I would think that you would be more careful when it comes to your spelling and puntcuation. Maybe instead of bashing Paula Abdul you should invest in a dictionary or at least spell check. Be careful out there Erin, stupid people walk among us. You certainly do.
By erin
January 22, 2009 9:56 AM | Link to this
i watched the first portion of this show and turned it off after the incident with the “be careful” comment. I think it was absolutly ludacris for simon and paula to react that way. rediculous. I say becarful all of the time and Im a college educated woman. I just give a damn about pleasentries. If there wass real concern for safetly, do you thin that man would of made it in there? especially after paulas stalker incident. I am more than a little disgusted, yet again, with paula abdul and how big of an idiot she is. If she is that fearful, maybe she should reconsider her career choice.
By erin
January 22, 2009 9:54 AM | Link to this
i watched the first portion of this show and turned it off after the incident with the “be careful” comment. I think it was absolutly ludacris for simon and paula to react that way. rediculous. I say becarful all of the time and Im a college educated woman. I just give a damn about pleasentries. If there wass real concern for safetly, do you thin that man would of made it in there? especially after paulas stalker incident. I am more than a little disgusted, yet again, with paula abdul and how big of an idiot she is. If she is that fearful, maybe she should reconsider her career choice.
By Kim
January 22, 2009 9:38 AM | Link to this
When I watched the show - I didn’t see Mudd as at all threatening and I don’t think he played it up - I think he honestly didn’t “get it”. It would be like me saying “Hang in there” and them thinking I was threatening to lynch them or something. If they would have asked what I meant - I would have reacted much the same as he did. I think that was a tempest in a teapot. Bikini girl was more threatening and obnoxious than that poor guy. And Tiffany - oh my - a classic example of how you can be TOO supportive of a child - they could have at least told her that her fake eyelashes were coming off. I liked Brent & Matt & Laneshe. I wasn’t feeling terribly over the moon for anyone last night (I may be getting hard to impress already!), but I will be routing for the Ohioians that got through!
By Diamond Dave
January 22, 2009 9:06 AM | Link to this
Kelle, he just didn’t seem to be the brightest bulb in the chandelier. He should have said, “I’m sorry. It’s just an expression we use around these parts.” But he was very “green” and it didn’t look like he was figuring out what was really going on. It was sickening to watch the producers play it up as a threat as much as they did, editing in the gun question from Simon before the man sang. Personally, I thought the editing job done to his entire performance was mean-spirited and way over the top.
By Kelle
January 22, 2009 7:03 AM | Link to this
James, Thanks for the heads up on the phrase “be careful.” Do you think that once he figured out it was being over blown by the judges out he played it up just a bit?
By James
January 21, 2009 11:23 PM | Link to this
Actually, ‘be careful’ is a normal thing to say in the south. The poor guy obviously wasn’t very bright and the news media is now running with it as a creepy comment and threat. I honestly don’t think it was. And as for Paula’s comment about it not being a normal thing to say, she needs more culture. California is not the only place in the world, though most who live there think it is. Again, Ive heard and said that statement my whole life in the south, and it’s the same as saying goodbye or see ya.
By James
January 21, 2009 11:22 PM | Link to this
Actually, ‘be careful’ is a normal thing to say in the south. The poor guy obviously wasn’t very bright and the news media is now running with it as a creepy comment and threat. I honestly don’t think it was. And as for Paula’s comment about it not being a normal thing to say, she needs more culture. California is not the only place in the world, though most who live there think it is. Again, Ive heard and said that statement my whole life in the south, and it’s the same as saying goodbye or see ya.