The final batch of 'American Idol' auditions took place in St. Louis, the gateway to the west. It's also the city where Carrie Underwood first auditioned years ago, and we all know where she ended up, so perhaps the show is revisiting this site to recapture some 'Idol' magic. We're thiseclose to the live shows and the Top 24.
Did we meet the winner in St. Louis? The auditions were incredibly strong, with few freaks, so the answer is "could be." Check out the official PopCrush recap of this particular audition episode.
Johnny Keyser: He grew up with his dad acting as his father and mother. They are bros and boys who have each other's back. At 22, he's absolutely gorgeous -- looks a little like Jonathan Rhys Meyers, don’t ya think? -- and when he knocked out 'A Change Is Gonna Come' by Sam Cooke, the judges were sold. We were sold. He offered up one of the best auditions of St. Louis and Season 11.
Rachelle Lamb: The single mother came in like a lion and went out like one, with a terrific Faith Hill cover. She brought her daughter along to dance while she sang. Smart move -- who could deny her?
Reis Kloeckener: He sang 'Lean on Me,' after sharing his backstory of life at a Lutheran school and the subsequent bullying he endured when he went to public school. He was utterly sweet and moved on to the next round courtesy of that voice.
Ethan Jones: This son of a country musician went the pop route in his audition, with a head-turning, smile-inducing rendition of Edwin McCain's pop ballad 'I'll Be.' Just wonderful. He was eye candy, as well.
Mark Ingram: He works at the hotel where the auditions took place and sang a Stevie Wonder song while dressed in his uniform. He was, um, decent'ish. The judges wanted to say "yes," but he couldn’t carry the tune or hold a melody. He had infectious energy, but he didn't get upstreamed.
Lauren Gray: Gray's family owns a one-stop wedding shop. Despite being brought up with country music, she, like Ethan Jones before her, didn't go that route, instead singing Adele's 'One and Only.' Oh, you wanna sing an Adele song? If so, you better bring it. It was brought.
That concludes the audition rounds of 'American Idol.' We're off to the races in Hollywood.
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