Last week, I spoke with two of the Georgia-based contestants featured on Wednesday and Thursday's shows. Without being too much of a spoiler, one of the two makes it into the final 31, based on what's out there on the Web.
Madelyn Patterson of the tiny town of Jackson, GA sang Patti Griffin's "Up to the Mountain" on opening night in Austin.
While Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban gave her major kudos, Harry Connick Jr. warned her about over-reliance on "licks" and "runs."
Patterson, a 23-year-old licensed cosmetologist, was born and raised in Jackson, an hour south of Atlanta. She has wanted to be on "Idol" since she was a pre-teen. She tried out for season 6 but didn't get anywhere. This time, she did. "I feel like now is my time," she said. "My goal is to win."
Despite Harry's critique, she said "he knows what he's talking about." And all three judges are indeed as good-looking in person as they seem.
Patterson, who has a two-year-old son Brantley, loves Martina McBride and, of course, Carrie Underwood.
Madelyn Patterson - Up To the Mountain... by IdolxMuzic
Emmanual Zidor, who auditioned in San Francisco, is a 24-year-old Delta Air Lines ramp worker who has lived in Atlanta for two years.
The Miami native was the man who auditioned by singing as he entered the room. He then charmed the judge's panel with his R&B voice and his personality. He sailed into Hollywood with his rendition of Beyonce's "Beautiful Nightmare." (She's his favorite artist.)
"I came into that room to prove I'm not just a singer but an entertainer," he said.
He purposely joined Delta for the flight privileges, which made it easier for him to make it to auditions.
Before coming on the show, he knew Connick Jr. best from his guest spot on "Will & Grace." But he loved how Connick gave advice he could use for his future.
He said he hadn't had much vocal training or performance experience before "Idol." Last year, he tried out for "Idol" and didn't get far so he did take some lessons.
Zidor likes to do runs and enjoys showing off the powerful side of his voice in the style of Tevin Campbell or Gerald Levert. "A lot of males today don't sing like that," he said. "I'd like to bring that back."
His favorite "Idols": Kelly Clarkson and Adam Lambert. "He brings dramatic entertainment like I want to be," he said. "I look up to him so much being gay, just being himself. And he has an awesome voice."
***
The Thursday night episode of "Idol" took a sharp drop from opening night, a bit more than I expected. Ratings fall from 15.2 million to 13.4 million. The 18-49 rating fell from 4.7 to 3.9.
The opening night ratings plus 3 nights of DVR raised the 18-49 share from 4.7 to 5.4.
***
Forbes magazine estimated the incomes of various "Idol" contestants last year and Carrie Underwood ran away with $31 million.
Kelly Clarkson came in a distant second with $7 million followed by Adam Lambert and Phillip Phillips at $5 million each.
***
Reminder: this Thursday's "Idol" is out of Atlanta. Here are some preview videos:
This dude brought his dog:
This lady is from Slapout, Ala. which amused the judges:
And guess who's back from season 9?
About the Author
