Danny Gokey

Here is a guy who is a judges favorite for sure. He sure can sing. Also “going for him” if you can even say that, is a traggic backstory. His wife passed away about 4 weeks ago. If that doesn’t make you want to call in for the poor guy then I don’t know what would.

Just writing this makes me want to seek out Danny Gokey and give him a big hug. I’m sure Danny Gokey will make the top 20 as both Paula and Randy seem to love him.

Every year, there is one contestant story that touches the hearts of American Idol viewers. This season, the touching story comes from Danny Gokey, a 28-year old church music director from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Danny Gokey auditioned in Kansas City and wowed not only the judges, but viewers as well when he sang “Heard it through the grapevine.” Clearly, Danny has talent and soul.

But that’s not the touching story. Four weeks before Danny auditioned in Kansas City, his wife passed away. In several interviews, he said that they’ve been talking about him auditioning and he believed his wife would have been so happy to see him pass the auditions and get that golden ticket to Hollywood.

Many viewers related to Danny’s story of grief and were warmed by his devotion to his wife, as he dedicated his success in American Idol to her. Being 28 years old, this is the last year for Danny to be eligible to audition for American Idol. He shares in his get-to-know-me videos on the official site of American Idol that music is a big part of his life and he hopes to spread a message through his voice and his story.

It’s only been seven months since Danny’s wife passed away and his life is just starting to be stable. In one interview, Danny apologized to anyone who might be offended by constant and frequent mention of his wife’s death. He said that he “didn’t ask for it,” but that the grief was a part of him.

Danny Gokey also made it through a tough Hollywood week and became part of the Top 36 contestants that eventually will be narrowed down to the Top 12 finalists after being divided into three groups. For each group, three people – the girl and the boy with the highest votes accompanied by the next highest vote-getter – will make it to the Top 12. The rest of the finalists will be decided through a wildcard round.

Danny was part of the first group who performed last week in front of the judges and a live audience. For his Top 36 performance, he sang Mariah Carey’s “Hero.” His rendition was soulful; and heartfelt. The judges praised his performance. American Idol’s new judge, songwriter, Kara DioGuardi told Danny Gokey that he was “the hero” and that he had given them all hope.

The following night, the results of the votes were in, and all 12 contestants were waiting for America’s verdict on their performances. In the end, Danny Gokey joined Alexis Grace, and Michael Sarver to be the first three contestants to make it to the Top 12. That result wasn’t at all surprising given that Danny had been an early favorite in the competition.

In two weeks, the roster for the Top 12 finalists will be complete and the real competition begins. Viewers are anticipating what this 28-year old choir music director will bring to the big stage as the contestants go through week-by-week challenges. But one thing’s for sure, Danny Gokey will stay true to his heart and perform that best that he can.

Kris Allen

Hailing from Little Rock, Arkansas, Kris Allen developed his passion here for singing, songwriting, as well playing several instruments such as the piano, ukulele, and viola.  All the passion started at the young age of 13 when he independently taught himself how to play the guitar.  Starting at a young age, he became a member of the New Life Church of Little Rock and performed with them for many years.  This passion has brought him to great places and gave him wonderful opportunities to share his music with other people.  Through this, he was able to reach out to many oppressed and less privileged people.  Kris has traveled to many places such as Thailand, Mozambique, Spain, and Morocco, and these travels had a big influence on how he writes his music.  He even has his own independent fill length CD which was released in September 2007, entitled “Brand New Shoes.”  In this album, Kris’ talents in singing, songwriting, guitar playing, and piano playing are surely showcased.  At first glance, Kris appears very calm and laidback, but his music has been described to be very soulful and deep.

In Season 8 of American Idol, Kris Allen, a business major at the University of Arkansas, auditioned with his brother in the San Francisco auditions.  Unfortunately, his brother did not make it through to Hollywood. Kris, on the other hand, got the coveted golden ticket.  According to Allen, he did not expect to make it as far as to be part of the Final 36 who will eventually compete to get a spot in the Top 12, when the competition really begins.  He says that as you keep going through audition after audition, and round after round, you never think that you might get through to the next, so it is all crazy and overwhelming for him.

Allen, a part of Group 2 of the Final 36, still gets incredibly overwhelmed that he is part of one of the country’s most favorite entertainment shows.  This has only encouraged him to raise his game, as he rehearses as much as he can with the people on the show who help contestants in performing and arranging their songs.  These people have helped him make the songs his own.  When he is not rehearsing or thinking about the performances, Allen says that he just spends time with the other contestants whom he has already been good friends with.  He was fortunate enough to be part of a group he now considers to be lifelong friends who root for each other genuinely.  Another group of people on the show who makes Kris feel a little bit more tense is the group of judges.  Kris says that it was very nerve-wracking to have all them just sitting there waiting for you to sing.  He got incredibly overwhelmed seeing the people he had only seen on television for the past seven years.  Even though you want the judges to say all positive comments, sometimes the negative just creeps in.

Being the ever humble individual, Kris Allen does not admit that he has a big fan base back in his home in Arkansas and even has a Facebook group dedicated to him, which has now recruited over 8,000 members.  With his laidback personality and soulful performances, Kris Allen is surely a contestant to look out for.

Allison Iraheta

Allison Iraheta is one of the youngest American Idol bets. This 16-year old girl has been singing since the age of 5, and now, her years of training are finally paying off. Allison auditioned for American Idol in San Francisco. She sang a popular choice for Idol aspirants – “Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin. She impressed the judges, leaving San Francisco with a big smile and a golden ticket to Hollywood.

This high school student is no newbie to reality shows. In 2006 she joined an idol-like telemundo reality show called Quinaceañera. She has also been in a few commercials, and has been singing for many years. She has been awarded the “Celebrate Life with Hope” award from Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles. Allison also sang at the benefit with pop icon, Babyface. Her background gives her a definite edge in this competition.

Truly, Allison is on the road to fame. The Los Angeles native even has got her own fan site even before she joined American Idol! Allison claims that she has always been an American Idol fan, and has been watching since the beginning of the show. Now it is her time to be in it.

As idol progresses, she continues to gather fans who root for her idol success. Her rendition of the popular song, “Total Eclipse of the Heart” was impressive. She sang the song her own style and moved the audience in awe. Allison Iraheta earned a spot in the top 36. She was in the second group that vied to get into the Top 12 finalists of American Idol Season 8.

The Los Angeles Times chatted with Allison Iraheta. The interview showcased her teen spirit and eagerness to be on American Idol. She shares her passion for singing outside the Idol arena saying that she used to sing in church and also at school. That there were little get-togethers in school where she would jam with her classmates who played instruments.

Allison has a wide variety of musical influences. Her favorite singer is Pink, Jack White and Franz Ferdinand. Truly, she boasts an array of different types of music. When asked what made her join Idol, she gave an honest yet sincere response: “You hear this from all the minors, of course, because we’ve been waiting. I was 9 when I started watching the show, when it came out. I was like, ‘When I’m 16 I’m going to audition.’ So I did and it was just a process of preparation and being patient.”

Allison hopes that people would see her for who she is as an artist. She claims to be the same person onstage or offstage. She mentions that more important than anything, she just wants America to see what she’s willing to put up for the competition.

“Just see how much I’m willing to put into being onstage and how much I really love doing this, I guess, and how much I want this.” Newsday.com calls Allison as one of the “ones to watch” in this season. Judge Kara also mentioned that Allison has “raw natural talent” and cited her as the “dark horse” in the competition. Idol has never had a champ of Hispanic descent. She could just be the first one. Could American Idol be Allison Iraheta’s big break?

Adam Lambert

How could one not be moved by a theatrical rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody?” Although it has been one of the most used audition pieces for American Idol, but Adam Lambert’s audition definitely is a cut above the rest. Showing off his mad vocal range and quality theatrics, he has managed to make his own style shine through. It is no surprise that he leaves the San Francisco audition room with four yeses and a golden ticket.

Adam Lambert is one of the most remarkable contestants in American Idol Season 8. He strikes as the “stage cutie” with his good looks and charming face. Certainly, he has the entire package that could lead him to Idol success. He has made it to the season’s Top 36, which is more than what most aspiring singers would ever get to. This twenty-six-year old aspiring idol was born in San Diego, California. He spent his early years there, but is now residing in Hollywood. What makes Adam Lambert one of the season’s best?

Adam is no newbie in the performing arts. He has a definite edge when it comes to musical background and training. His father, who was a DJ, got him exposed to different kinds of music making him familiar to music’s finest over the last decades. He has been singing since he was ten years old and has been in musical theatre for the past eight years. Performing on stage for several productions, he was cast in “Musical Hair,” a six-month European tour, which became a pivotal point in his career. He successfully gained credibility as an artist as he returned to Hollywood. He was involved in the LA production of “Wicked,” and was cast alongside Val Kilmer as Joshua in “The Ten Commandments” back in 2004. As a natural crowd pleaser, Adam caught the attention of New York Times and LA Times citing his personal sound and style as one of the best.

Fifteen years of musical theatre training, has brought him to become a confident performing artist. This musical chameleon has expanded his territories determined to make it to the airwaves. Aside from his self-produced electro-pop tracks, he has been working on records and has begun collaborating with composer and guitarist Monte Pittman. He is now part of the alternative pop-rock band, The Citizen Vain. Together, they have written over 20 songs, and are now working with Producer Malcolm Westford and A&R Worldwide.

Adam continues to wow both judges and American Idol viewers. He is on the road to being the next American Idol, and was part of the season’s top 36 contestants. Judges and viewers have been raving about him since the day he belted out Bohemian Rhaposdy. Judges have called his voice as “one of the best in contention,” while judge Paula Abdul even mentioned that he is one of her top 3 idol bets. It may be too early for final Idol debates, but it seems like the odds are on his side. Could Adam Lambert be the next American Idol?

Michael Sarver

Jeremy Michael Sarver is a 28-year old man from Texas. He got picked to be part of the 36 contestants who were selected to battle for the title of being the American Idol. He eventually got included in the top 12 spots of the reality show’s eighth season. Michael, as what he is more popularly regarded nowadays, first tried his luck in Arizona and there, he sang for his audition the song “Thank You” of the band Boyz II Men. That really must be his lucky day since all the four judges agreed to give him the chance to go to Hollywood. During the actual competition, Michael belonged to the first batch of the 12 out of the 36 contestants. But even though he was included in the first batch, it seemed like he did not feel nervous at all for everyone loved his performance that he became one of the three contestants that garnered the most votes which in turn guaranteed him as one of the 12 contestants who will become a finalist.
As far as his personal life is concerned, he is a married man with two very adorable children. Before he joined American Idol 8, he worked at an oil rig as a roughneck, which is considered as one of the most dangerous jobs in this world. Even though he has this job, Michael Sarver has always dreamed of being a singer and/or songwriter. And it can really be seen that he is truly inclined to music because aside from being a singer and songwriter, he is also fond of playing instruments like drums, guitar and piano.
Most people do not know that during his audition in Arizona, he had Paula grooving to the song he sang. On the other hand, Kara said that he is a “sweet roughneck;” Simon said that he had something in him that makes it easy for people to like him. Meanwhile, during his first performance when he sang the song “I Don’t Want to Be” of Gavin de Graw, he did not exactly rocked the crowd. Even the judges were not that psyched about the way he performed. Randy Jackson said that it is already given that he can definitely sing and that he has a voice, but with regard to the song, he started out kind of rough with his pitch. The second judge, Kara, said that she knows that Michael can do better than his performance. Simon Cowell’s comment is neutral because he said that he is just glad that the show is giving people like Michael a chance to express themselves and that they all have heard and seen worse. On the other hand, among all of them, Paula has the nicest comment and said that she is very certain that he made Gavin very proud of his performance.
For sure, Michael Sarver is one of the contestants that people should watch out for as the show progresses. It is very evident that this guy is just waiting to be seen and has a lot more to offer.

Jorge Mendez

This is the way his grandfather would have wanted him to pursue his dream of becoming recognized as a singer.  Puerto Rican Jorge Nunez Mendez sang “My Way” when he auditioned to be an American Idol Season 8 contestant.  He wowed all four judges with his Spanish rendition of the Sinatra classic.  He also sang “What a Wonderful World” in English.  It was a four-way yes for 21-year old Jorge Mendez with all judges unanimously voting for him to go to Hollywood.

It was Jorge Mendez’ grandfather’s dream to have him take part in American Idol.  He had promised him that he would finance his travel to the United States if and when he makes the cut.  Unfortunately his grandfather passed on almost a year back.  Mendez just had to audition to live out his grandfather’s dream when American Idol came to San Juan, Puerto Rico to search for talents for its 8th season.  He had his day in the American Idol audition line up in August 2008 at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico.

Singing has always been part of Jorge Mendez’ life. He has been singing since he was 10 years old.  He was part of his school choir as he was growing up.  His range of performances range from classic to pop.  Evidently, his talents are more than just for group singing.  He can carry his own style in versatile solos.  Jorge Mendez does not only sing a variety of songs, he also speaks a variety of languages.  He can speak fluent French, English, and Spanish.  Mendez is a college senior at the University of Puerto Rico in Rio Piedras.  He lives with his family in Carolina, Puerto Rico, but he traces his roots from Cidra, Puerto Rico.  Mendez is one of two Puerto Ricans who made it to the Top 36.

In Hollywood, Jorge Mendez joined 147 contestants as they took turns in solo performances.  The semi-finalists were further cut down to 107 contestants for the group round and then 72 contestants for another round of solo performances.  The final 54 contestants trooped to the Judges’ Mansion in Los Angeles for the final cut resulting in the Top 36.  Mendez is slated to go through to the semi-final round where each of the Top 36 contestants will sing solo performances and then go through a viewers’ vote.  For this round, the Top 36 contestants are divided into three groups.  After each round of performances from each group, three contestants with the most number of votes will automatically move on to the Top 12:  the top male performer, the top male performer, and any one of the remaining contestants with the most number of votes.

Eyes and ears are trailed on Mendez along with the other remaining contestants as the semis begin.  Should Mendez fail to make the viewers’ vote, he still has the chance to make it to the Top 12 finalists in one of the twists in this year’s American Idol competition.  The Wild Card round in the semi-finals would allow those who are left after the first round of semis to have a second chance to perform.  In this round, the four judges will be the one to determine which ones are deserving of the chance to move on to the finals.  Three contestants will be chosen by the judges to join the Top 12 finalists in the Wild card round.

Jasmine Murray

American Idol has been a household name not only in America, but the whole world has been watching out for it, as well. The show has produced a lot of chart hitters with the genre not being confined to pop only, but also in alternative rock and in other genres as well. Names like Jordin Sparks, Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, David Cook, Carrie Underwood have occupied the slots in the music chart ever since the start of their careers. Whether their popularity fades away in such little time, or their spark stays bright in the coming years, they were known to the world with American Idol. The show has made a lot of people mad, happy, satisfied, or left them rambling about the judges comments. Yet still, a lot of aspiring talents try their luck with AI. One of them is Jasmine Murray.

Jasmine is at the young age of 16 and hails from Starkville, Mississippi. She was Mississippi’s Most Outstanding Teen of the year 2007 in the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen pageant. She went on to the top 10 of the national competition, and she was granted the honor to sing the national anthem before the Miss America Pageant in January 2008.

She is a junior at the Mississippi School of Arts and had her audition in Jacksonville, Florida where she sang Big Girls Don’t Cry. She is recognized as a miracle baby by her mom, who had extreme toxemia while she was pregnant with Jasmine. It was said that even the doctors didn’t even expect both mom and child to make it. Jasmine is the youngest of five children. During an interview, she said that she likes to sing pop rock and country. She loves being onstage and that she has been singing since she was just three years old.

Judge Simon Cowell described her as “cute and commercial,” while Paula Abdul finds she has a “nice voice.” Randy said, “There’s something going on there.” Jasmine earned four yeses from the AI judges.

Though the youngest in the family, her sisters refer to her as their role model. When she went out carrying the golden ticket, her mom and her three sisters who were with her were so overjoyed to hear of the good news. Ryan Seacrest clarified that Murray is still to compete with other contestants in Hollywood. Luckily, Jasmine Murray is still included in the top 36 list. She is to compete with the others while they will be narrowed down to 12 contestants. Each week, one of the contestants will be eliminated by way of viewer voting until one winner comes up. The grand winner will then receive a recording contract.

If you love Jasmine Murray, watch out for her and cast out your vote to get her into the top 12.

AI has made some dreams come true and has inspired most viewers. Though sometimes a source of controversy, it still has good overall feedbacks from viewers. Though not all will be pleased and some might even be annoyed, it makes the show more entertaining.

Alexis Grace

One glance at Alexis Grace and there is certainly no doubt that this young, talented, and vibrant girl would charm her way into your heart. A resident of Memphis, Alexis tried her luck and auditioned for American Idol in Louisville, Kentucky. She belted out Aretha Franklin’s “Dr. Feelgood” showing off her soulful vocals and wowing the four judges.

“Pretty good voice. Different from what I thought would come out of you,” Randy remarked. Alexis Grace’s voice is truly surprising for a petite girl. She impressed the judges with her strong voice, though lacking in stage presence. The Hollywood hopeful left the audition room with a golden ticket and a shining new hope to become the next American Idol.

Alexis may seem young and innocent, but this 20-year old girl has been through her share of life -changing experiences. She gave birth when she was 19 years old, and is presently engaged to be married to the father of her daughter. A musician at heart, Alexis has been singing since she was 7 years old. She was a part of the University of Memphis Concert Choir, establishing her roots as a singer.

During her audition, Kara and Paula gave her an advice that proved to be good in the end, “Don’t wear pink, just dirty yourself.” And so she did.

Alexis took to heart each word said by the judges. She got rid of her girl-next-door looks. She breezed through Hollywood week, making it to the top 36. Alexis successfully revitalized herself. She “dirtied” up her look, and was able to establish her stage presence when she performed “Never loved a Man” by Aretha Franklin. She was able to do what American Idol contestants aimed to do – she took a classic song and was able to make it her own.

The first batch of contestants who tried to make it in top 12 was a mix of good and bad. Judges and viewers are raving about Alexis Grace. She was a big hit on the February 17 show, where her performance proved her to be a cut above the rest. Judges Paula and Simon even mentioned that they see Season 1 American Idol, Kelly Clarkson, in Alexis. This certainly puts Alexis as a front runner towards becoming the next American Idol.

Alexis makes it to the Top 12 along with Michael Sarver from Texas, and Danny Gokey from Wisconsin. She tallied the top number of votes among female singers for this season. Her soulful performance earned her a comparison with a former Idol champ, and a spot in the top 12 finalists for American Idol. Certainly, a lot is still in store for her as the top vote-getter of this season. It was definitely no surprise that fans have been rooting for her, given her incredible voice coming from a pint-size body.

Alexis Grace may be a living testament that great gifts do come in small packages. With her mad vocals, charming face and stunning performances, America is sure to be hooked on her. But can she sustain her level of performance? We can only hope for this young mother to be consistent through out the competition?

“Could a regular stay at home Mom be the one?” Ryan Seacrest asked upon the Audition of Alexis Grace.

She just could be.

Casy Carlson

Casey Carlson is hot hot hot. She has a voice like I’ve never heard before with a bit of a country twist. I know I liked her a lot and the judges seemed to have liked Casey Carlson too. They sent her straight to Hollywood. Almost as interesting as anything are the pictures of Casey Carlson in a bikini that have poped up on the net.

As anyone can see it’s not doubt that this girl will have the votes of many young boys. My biggest question is will the women like her? I have a fear for Casey Carlson that women will be intimidated by her, I know my girlfriend gets jealous of anybody on TV I think is hot ha ha. I guess I’ll keep my feelings on this one to myself.

Who knows, I really think she can go far into the competition if she can work it like she has so far. She just needs to try to appeal to the very important female teenie population. I guess the “girls want to be me, guys want to be with me” approach may have to be her strategy.

Von Smith

Von Smith is your stereotypical guy that can do well in the competition if he can make it into the top 20. Why you ask is Von Smith a commodity? Well he has a good singing voice, but more importantly he is a good looking guy.

He already has a modest following after some mild success on YouTube, and has even had an appearance on the view. So I guess those two things are also a big plus if he can make it past the judges. Von Smith just needs to focus on winning over the judges, because if he can do that then he should have no trouble winning over the hearts of teenage girls.