"American Idol" Recap: Best and Worst
In the final week of Season 15 "American Idol" auditions, previous finalists showed up to help: Lee DeWyze, Clay Aiken, Taylor Hicks, and Ruben Studdard. They helped with the thankless task of prescreening auditioners to determine who would sing for the judges.
• Miranda "Poh" Scott, 27, is the sister of one of last year's Top 24, Shi. She wore white pants and a white top. She admitted she was nicknamed after her favorite Teletubby. She sang a Sara Bareilles song, and she had a little scratchiness in her voice, sometimes being a little under the note. Harry Connick Jr. advised her not to say negative things about herself and said that many of the "negatives" in her voice were refreshing. Jennifer Lopez said there was "an abandon to the way you perform." Keith Urban liked the way she sang, too. Three yeses. She was moving onto the Hollywood rounds.
• Amelia Eisenhauer, 15, brought a flat-edged kitana to the auditions but chose not to bring it into the room. She performs in a family band, and took her violin in with her to sing. She had long red hair, a light-gray tank top, and black pants. She sang "Many Rivers" by Annie Lennox, starting off with a few bars on violin before piano accompaniment kicked in. Her comfortable alto had an ease to it that was really quite lovely. Harry found the performance strong. Keith liked her unusual tone, the soulful potency. Jennifer started the voting with a yes, and the others also voted yes.
• Auditioning in Little Rock was Joy Dove, 21, who had a really big personality. She wore a black fringed embellished dress with black leggings. She sang "Jambalaya," which had lyrics straight out of New Orleans. Harry called her energy "awesome" and "you just sing loud, and I love that." Jennifer said she envied her. Keith said she had a great vibe. Three yeses.
• Sang "Stupid Boy" by Keith Urban and "Come By Me" by Harry Connick Jr. and "Love Don't Cost a Thing" by Jennifer Lopez, "Making Memories of Us" by Keith Urban, accompanying himself on a mandolin, wearing a loose white T-shirt and grass green pants. He had boy-next-door shaggy brown hair and glasses. Harry called him "a smart son of a gun." He found him interesting to watch. Jennifer called the sound of his voice pleasant. Keith loved the first and fourth songs, but didn't know the others, he joked. And of course, three yeses.
• After a montage of other twins and duos auditioning together, two self-proclaimed nerds auditioned together, both with little moustaches, glasses, and hair pulled back in a ponytail. Andrew Birdwell, 27, had a low voice without a lot of power, his performance "enhanced" by harmonies by his brother, Aaron Birdwell, 23. Both of them were off the melody, with bad harmonies. Keith called it a "Gregorian acid trip." Jennifer told them it was a no.
• Jenna Renae accompanied herself on the piano, wearing a black long-sleeved shirt, black bell bottoms, and a black brimmed hat. Harry called her soulful. She made it through.
• Mario Bonds, 27, had a lot of confidence. He was born with a degenerative eye condition that made him go blind by the time he was 10. He sang Natalie Cole's "Inseparable," accompanied by piano. It wavered at parts. Jennifer was honest, that she'd gone back and forth. She loved parts, and some others, not so much. Harry called him a powerful presence but said he didn't have what he was looking for. Keith told him he had a great spirit, but as an artist, it didn't connect. It was a no.
• Adam Lasher, 28, had auditioned in a previous season. He'd had a haircut and was wearing a black suit with an open white shirt. Jennifer liked his audition. Harry liked his arrangement and said, "I see why you went to Hollywood last time." Three yeses.
• Emily Brooke, 16, had auditioned last year and was eliminated after the House of Blues performance. She looked a little more grown up, her long blonde hair in ringlets, wearing a black lacey jacket over a pink flowered skirt, accompanying herself on guitar. Harry said he liked her better than last year. Keith added there's no substitute for work. Three yeses.
• Tonight, the final audition episode, featuring the "Good, the bad and the cuddly."
• Miranda "Poh" Scott, 27, is the sister of one of last year's Top 24, Shi. She wore white pants and a white top. She admitted she was nicknamed after her favorite Teletubby. She sang a Sara Bareilles song, and she had a little scratchiness in her voice, sometimes being a little under the note. Harry Connick Jr. advised her not to say negative things about herself and said that many of the "negatives" in her voice were refreshing. Jennifer Lopez said there was "an abandon to the way you perform." Keith Urban liked the way she sang, too. Three yeses. She was moving onto the Hollywood rounds.
• Amelia Eisenhauer, 15, brought a flat-edged kitana to the auditions but chose not to bring it into the room. She performs in a family band, and took her violin in with her to sing. She had long red hair, a light-gray tank top, and black pants. She sang "Many Rivers" by Annie Lennox, starting off with a few bars on violin before piano accompaniment kicked in. Her comfortable alto had an ease to it that was really quite lovely. Harry found the performance strong. Keith liked her unusual tone, the soulful potency. Jennifer started the voting with a yes, and the others also voted yes.
• Auditioning in Little Rock was Joy Dove, 21, who had a really big personality. She wore a black fringed embellished dress with black leggings. She sang "Jambalaya," which had lyrics straight out of New Orleans. Harry called her energy "awesome" and "you just sing loud, and I love that." Jennifer said she envied her. Keith said she had a great vibe. Three yeses.
• Sang "Stupid Boy" by Keith Urban and "Come By Me" by Harry Connick Jr. and "Love Don't Cost a Thing" by Jennifer Lopez, "Making Memories of Us" by Keith Urban, accompanying himself on a mandolin, wearing a loose white T-shirt and grass green pants. He had boy-next-door shaggy brown hair and glasses. Harry called him "a smart son of a gun." He found him interesting to watch. Jennifer called the sound of his voice pleasant. Keith loved the first and fourth songs, but didn't know the others, he joked. And of course, three yeses.
• After a montage of other twins and duos auditioning together, two self-proclaimed nerds auditioned together, both with little moustaches, glasses, and hair pulled back in a ponytail. Andrew Birdwell, 27, had a low voice without a lot of power, his performance "enhanced" by harmonies by his brother, Aaron Birdwell, 23. Both of them were off the melody, with bad harmonies. Keith called it a "Gregorian acid trip." Jennifer told them it was a no.
• Jenna Renae accompanied herself on the piano, wearing a black long-sleeved shirt, black bell bottoms, and a black brimmed hat. Harry called her soulful. She made it through.
• Mario Bonds, 27, had a lot of confidence. He was born with a degenerative eye condition that made him go blind by the time he was 10. He sang Natalie Cole's "Inseparable," accompanied by piano. It wavered at parts. Jennifer was honest, that she'd gone back and forth. She loved parts, and some others, not so much. Harry called him a powerful presence but said he didn't have what he was looking for. Keith told him he had a great spirit, but as an artist, it didn't connect. It was a no.
• Adam Lasher, 28, had auditioned in a previous season. He'd had a haircut and was wearing a black suit with an open white shirt. Jennifer liked his audition. Harry liked his arrangement and said, "I see why you went to Hollywood last time." Three yeses.
• Emily Brooke, 16, had auditioned last year and was eliminated after the House of Blues performance. She looked a little more grown up, her long blonde hair in ringlets, wearing a black lacey jacket over a pink flowered skirt, accompanying herself on guitar. Harry said he liked her better than last year. Keith added there's no substitute for work. Three yeses.
• Tonight, the final audition episode, featuring the "Good, the bad and the cuddly."