Last night on American Juniors Ryan announced that next week they will show clips from some of the auditions that have taken place already. And Simon will be on the show (but via satellite I think).

Oh yeah, and this time Houston is one of the audition cities. Should I go?

Yeah , go on!

Bloody hell this is all a bit quick isn't it?........God isn't Simon Cowell suffering from a nervous break down already!

Yanks going into over drive again i think

Trust me you don't want to hear me sing. Anyway, I value my life so I'd rather not camp out near the baseball stadium in a seedy part of town.

The clips shown on American Juniors were crappy. Why am I not surprised? But Simon was on via satellite. He said he wants some better looking people this time. I do have to say that Simon brings out the worst in Ryan. He is so pleasant on American Juniors, but bring Simon in ...

From Entertainment Weekly website:

From the Houston Chronicle:

Idol hopefuls get the news
By ANDREW GUY JR.
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle

Where do broken hearts go?

They exit out back, near the service entrance, to a chorus of screams and a tangle of embracing arms.

"I can't believe you didn't get picked!" a woman yelled as her friend left Minute Maid Park. "I can't believe you didn't make it."

Those who did make that important first cut in the American Idol auditions were allowed to exit like movie stars, out front through the gleaming main doors on Texas Avenue, the entrance titled "Home Plate."

Emotions ruled Minute Maid Park on Wednesday.

Consolations out back. Congratulations out front. Tears and hugs at both locations, everybody reaching for cell phones.

By early afternoon, the more than 1,000 people who spent days waiting for a shot at the third season of American Idol had been whittled down to 400 in auditions that ran from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Those who received pink slips will return today for a "call back" audition, and those who were given blue slips will return Friday.

But even a "call back" is no guarantee. Odds are still against most of the 400 selected, as Idol producers have left most cities with only about a dozen candidates who get the ultimate call back: a trip to Hollywood for final auditions.

The show's third season will begin on Fox TV in January with about a dozen contestants from across the country.

As expected, the people who weren't chosen were upset, angry at the process, miffed at sleeping on the ground for days, disillusioned by the coldness of the entertainment industry.

Of course, those called back were pleased, joyful that their time and money paid off, grateful to American Idol staff for giving them a chance.

American Idol producers already have conducted auditions in Los Angeles. From Houston they'll go to Atlanta, New York and Honolulu.

Auditions went like this: A dozen or so tables were set up inside the park. Producers sat at each table. Idol hopefuls lined up at each table and sang. Each audition lasted about 30 seconds.

Bridget Sullivan flew with her father, Len, from Eagle River, Alaska, on Tuesday.

The trip was worth it. Bridget ran out the main entrance, clutching a blue "call back" sheet and leapt into the arms of her proud papa.

"A lot of people got rejected," said Sullivan, 20, a student at the University of Alaska. "I couldn't believe they chose me. A lot of other tables weren't letting anyone through."

Jacklyn Hatley, 23, of Fort Worth was furious for being rejected after belting what she considers a blockbuster version of Mariah Carey's Can't Let Go.

Hatley stood against a wall out back in tears. She clutched her cell phone, resisting the call back home.

"They're turning away all the good talent," Hatley said. "I think they're doing it just to make the ratings. It's all they want. They don't want good talent."

Heidi Rios, 21, a musician from San Francisco, agreed.

"I walked in thinking talent matters, but today it didn't," Rios said. "They want jerks. It's all about the ratings. Look at all of these good singers that got rejected. They don't know what they want."

American Idol producers disagree.

Talent always matters, and they know exactly what they want.

"Let's be honest," said supervising producer David Goffin. "A lot of people who got rejected aren't as good as they think they are. There's no secret to it. We like people who can sing.

"It's true I cut a lot of people off. But we know pretty quickly whether someone is going to work."

And good singers may get rejected because they don't have that extra something needed in the entertainment industry, Goffin added.

"We look for that X factor," he said. "A lot of people can sing, but they may not have stage presence or personality. We look for that. We look for someone who could be a star."

Someone like Leah Alvarez, who was pleased as she left "Home Plate" Wednesday.

"I got it!" Alvarez said. "I went in, and the judges examined me, and I sung and they liked it."

"They're looking for the look," Alvarez, 21, from Houston, added. "And they want stage presence and how comfortable a person is in their skin. You can't go in nervous and scared because they'll eat you alive."

Back at the service entrance, LaTonjia Hines sauntered out into the waiting arms of her boyfriend, Casimius Johnson.

Hines was disappointed but considered the experience a temporary setback in her music career.

"I did what I had to do and left it at that," Hines said. "They sat there and listened and told me I wasn't it."

Johnson consoled Hines and reassured her that Idol producers made a mistake.

"I know she'll be great," Johnson said. "Sometimes you make it, sometimes you don't. But she's still my idol."


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I can't believe that one girl travelled from Alaska!!
Good thing she made the cut.

Yeah I was surprised by that , I guess though that Texas and Honolulu are about the same distance though.
I wonder if Simon will be buying an island while he is out in Hawaii

check it out!

www.koolusa.com

I really don't think advertising is allowed in here.


I'm starting to wonder if AI3 will not focus so much on Simon little quips to the horrible people. Nobody will perform in front of Randy, Paula, and Simon until they are called back to LA. Are they going to send ridiculous people to all the way to LA? I doubt it.

Before ANYONE gets on the show they have to sing in front of just the producers so that the Great and the BAD can then sing in front of Simon and the rest.

I was watching E! news live and they showed people out side queing in LA just to sing to the produce, this one girl that sang was amazing.

Yes, I understand that, but last time Paula, Randy, and Simon were present at each location (Miami, NYC, Austin, Nashville) but not this time. I'm just wondering if they are going to send people all the way to LA just so Simon can tell them how horrible they are.

Pop Idol has just started here and Simon is doing that, at the moment it's only the auditions but the "real" show should start soon maybe thats why their not doing it.

Simon is filming auditions in America at the moment I read somewhere. He's going to come back in time for the final 50 in a few weeks time.

i thought that American Idol did not start up again till January, and if he is coming back for the final 50, which are performing for votes stages, then that would be shown live so he wouldn't ba back. I understand if u meant the final 100.

American Idol starts later this year. He is filming auditions at the moment. In 2 weeks time he comes back to the UK to film the final 50 UK which will be shown live. He will go back to America later.

Yep they were in Houston yesterday.

link

'American Idol' hopefuls go before Simon, Paula and Randy

By ANDREW GUY JR.
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle

They strode into the InterContinental Houston on Thursday, confident and vivacious. Their faces and attitudes said: You can't touch this.

The first round of auditioning for Fox's American Idol show was behind them. Thursday's round surely was just a formality. Their parents, friends and family stood by, ready for the word to pack for Hollywood.

And they were all going to Hollywood, right?

No way.

Most stormed out of the hotel in tears, many refusing to talk to reporters. A few stuck around, trading war stories about Simon Cowell's attitude, Randy Jackson's comments or Paula Abdul's advice. Many stuck around to see just who made the final cut.

Record meanness apparently was recorded in Houston Thursday. The current round of American Idol auditions kicked off with a visit with the show's on-air judges: Jackson, Cowell and Abdul.

The show's moderator -- Ryan Seacrest -- was there in his usual good-cop role, congratulating and consoling.

About 120 people who survived the mid-August auditions at Minute Maid Park made it to this round. That number will be pared over the next few days to about a dozen who will travel to Hollywood for the final round. Another trim will be made before the show's third season begins in January.

By mid-afternoon, the judges had been through more than 20 people. Only two had made the final cut as of late afternoon. By the end of the day, just eight had received word they were headed for Hollywood.

"Houston is letting us down," said Jackson. "What is going on here? We haven't been happy with anybody who came through here."

Cowell was, as usual, blunt.

"Appalling," he said of the talent. "Really appalling. I've never seen it this bad."

Try telling that to the confident crooners waiting outside the audition area.

"Nervous?" said Queensley Felix, 16, from Houston. "Not really. I'm actually ready. I'm so ready to sing right now I can't even wait. I can't wait to get in there."

And couldn't wait to get out.

About a half hour later, she left the audition room in tears and ran into the arms of her best friend, Candis Cushinberry, 16, who'd also been rejected.

The girls were ushered into exit interviews and left the hotel without comment.

Tiana Woodruff, 24, of Pueblo, Colo., said Jackson was harsh.

"He told me I had a theater voice," Woodruff said. "Community theater, at best."

Woodruff sang Tina Turner's What's Love Got to Do With It?

She said she was a bit nervous before her audition.

"I took a Valium after I came out, so I'm fine now," she said. "I probably should have taken a Valium before I went in there, huh?"

Brandon Eden looked like he could use a Valium. The 25-year-old truck driver from Iowa City, Iowa, sat stonefaced outside the audition room, staring at the floor. He had written two songs, Hawkeye Fever and a backup.

"I'm nervous about what they might say about the fact that I wrote my own songs," Eden said.

Eden said his job as a truck driver keeps him on the road, and he has a television in his truck and has watched both seasons of Idol while driving.

"I've been down every road in the United States," he bragged.

Well, he wasn't ready for Randy, Paula and Simon Boulevard. Eden stormed out of the hotel about two hours later, refusing interviews.

It wasn't all bad Thursday. Houstonian Elijah Hill burst out of the audition room, holding a gold piece of paper.

He's going to Hollywood.

"I'm still in shock," Hill said, as friends and family surrounded him. "I don't know what to say. Paula liked me a lot. Randy liked me. And Simon ... well, he had a few words."

Such as?

"He told me that he saw me in a group. Of people. In the back. Not singing," Hill said. "How am I supposed to respond to that?"

Still, he made it, with Jackson and Abdul overruling Cowell.

Not surprisingly, Cowell talked about the importance of being harsh. Cowell, who dubbed Abdul and Jackson "Mr. and Mrs. Hopeful" for their liberal standards, has earned a reputation as a tough critic.

"There's a stunning number of people singing out of tune," Cowell said. "What are they thinking when they walk in here? One guy did an impersonation of a cat being strangled."

Abdul, typically the helpful, reasonable one of the group, was so disgusted by the first auditioner that she refused to let him sing.

"He said he only had a one in four chance of making it anyway, so what was the point? We just sent him away," Abdul said. "That's a waste of time."



http://images.chron.com/content/news...9/05/idol1.jpg

will AI3 be on itv2?