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Access Atlanta > American Idol Buzz > Archives > 2007 > October > 14
Sunday, October 14, 2007
10/15: Flashback! Idol Rewind in the ATL 2002
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“American Idol Rewind” this past weekend harks back to Atlanta 2002, the year Clay Aiken and Vanessa Olivarez were discovered first at AmericasMart, then the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center. That year, 6,500 people camped out and later for the three judges, Paula Abdul was absent. (Some prior engagement that was never specified. I’m not sure if she ever missed another audition in the seven seasons.) Amazingly, 46 people made it to Hollywood that year from the city. This year, only 49 people even made it before the judges in Atlanta a few days ago.
Even five years later, some of these bad auditions are indeed hilarious. “I’d pay you to stop,” Simon told Atlanta’s Omega Morris after she jumped around to “Born to be Wild.”
Patrick Lane of Athens, a pre Bo Bice rocker dude, tried Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name.” He actually isn’t half bad but Simon said “I can’t see you in the Burt Bacharach or Motown medley.” They sent him to Hollywood after he sang “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head,” which he said in a later interview he happened to know.
Vanessa is wearing something fairly horrendous, a coat with a red fur collar. But she’s still adorable and did a lovely “Bohemian Rhapsody.” “I thought it was excellent,” Randy said. “You’re going to Hollywood,” Simon said. “I originally chose a Jackson 5 song,” she told “Idol” in 2007. “But I needed to be off the cuff and make it interesting. I think when I went in, they thought I’d be a bad contestant. Then when I sang, okay, I don’t want to hear another 10 minutes of it, but that was good.” (I recently interviewed her and will post a blog entry about it later.) Here’s her audition on You Tube..
The most famous bad auditioner before William Hung was then-Newnan resident Keith Beukelaur with the bad haircut who sang “Like a Virgin” and was told by Simon he was the “worst singer in the world.” His odd dance moves didn’t help. The infamous audition is on You Tube, to refresh your memory.. I still laugh even though I’ve seen this a bunch of times. “That was horrific man,” Randy said. “When you said interesting and unique, you said a mouthful.” “You’ve got to be kidding me!” Keith said.
“Idol” found him five years later and he is still bitter about the experience. In response to Simon suggesting he go into dancing (facetiously), “I’ve not danced since those auditons,” he said in 2007 with a much better haircut. “At the time, I thought I did my well because from the years that I sang, not one person ever told me I was a bad singer. Not one. Simon. You can kick my *… Looking back, maybe I would have done better singing a song by a male artist. I don’t believe I’m the worst singer in the world.”
Halfway through the episode, 2007 commentator Clay Aiken introduced 2002 Clay Aiken: “Let’s just say he’s got the goods.” During the audition from the episode that aired in 2002 on youtube, a gawky Aiken confidently stated, “I’m the American Idol… You had some good talent but I think as far as the top 10 goes, I could have been up there.” He then does “Always & Forever.” ‘You don’t look like a pop star but you’ve got a great voice,” Simon famously said. “It’s really wild to hear that voice out of this look,” Randy said. Simon calls him “Clayton” and wishes him off to Hollywood.
In Clay’s 2007 interview, he said: “I finally get in the room. I’ve been told that Paula is not here. I’m like crap, my whole scheme, my plan is gone! It made me a little more nervous.”
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