American Idol Houston auditions recap: Baylie Brown, Skylar Laine, Ramiro Garcia top the night
So much for a lack of joke auditions this season.
Thursday's episode of "American Idol," set in Houston, was heavy on unsuccessful hopefuls. Need proof? One singer greeted the judges with this line: "Grant me the power to bring revolution to the world."
Groan.
Those moments weren't pleasant, but there were a few bright spots. Among my favorites? Feisty teenage country singer Skylar Laine, as well as Baylie Brown (a singer we first met in season 6).
The final back story of the night was especially compelling: Ramiro Garcia was born without ears and doctors initially thought he'd be mute. He performed "Amazing Grace" and advanced to Hollywood.
Here's a full recap of the show.
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Phong Vu, 25, immediately seems like a joke auditioner. He says his spirit will come alive during the audition. He also says he enjoys performing songs by female pop artists. His version of "Unbreak My Heart" is less than stellar, to be kind. It brings Phong to tears, though. The judges aren't sold, so Phong Vu shows them his "iconic moves." The robotic dance moves don't impress the judges. Three-way no.
We see rapid-fire footage of bad singers, including Cameron Dobbins and Lamounte Hall.
Twelve minutes into the show, we haven't seen a serious singer.
Skylar Laine, 17, might turn things around. She loves hunting and mud racing. Her family owns a store/restaurant that's suffered some hard times due to the poor economy. She busts out a pretty good rendition of Pistol Annies' "Hell on Heels." For some reason, I like her. The judges do, too. She unanimously advances to Hollywood.
Baylie Brown, 21, auditioned five years ago and was cut during the Hollywood phase. She is sooo pretty. She sounds really good while covering "Bed of Roses.' She easily gets three votes for Hollywood. Here's her audition from season six:
Kristine Orosio, 28, used to perform with her husband. Now, she has three kids and is going through a divorce. She took out a loan to pay the divorce lawyer, but instead used that money to buy a plane ticket for "Idol" auditions. Not incredibly sure of the song she performed, but I think it was Adele's "One and Only." Hmm. I'm not too sure if I like her...I need to see more. She unanimously advances.
We get footage of the judges arguing. Linda Williams advances, even though J. Lo doesn't like her. I agree with J. Lo on this one. That was AWFUL.
Alejandro Cazares, 26, wants to start a revolution. He tells the judges, "Grant me the power to bring revolution to the world." He wants a world where Barack Obama can become president. The judges wisely tell him that already exists. He sings an awful version of Paramore's "Looking Up." He's unanimously rejected and escorted out of the room.
Cortez Shaw, 20, is a warehouse worker/college student who grew up in a single-parent household and was even homeless for a bit. He sings a nice R&B uptempo version of Adele's "Someone Like You." I'm a fan. Three-way yes for Hollywood.
Sigh. I did NOT need another bad auditioner in tight pants. After that, it's time for the last singer of the night.
Ramiro Garcia, 28, is a worship leader at a church. He was born with no ears and doctors initially thought he'd be mute. After a series of operations, he can now sing. He performs a good rendition of "Amazing Grace" and advances to Hollywood. Sigh...I think these end-of-show sob stories are sometimes a bit much. But I won't say anything else.
And...we're done!
This story was originally published January 26, 2012 at 7:58 PM with the headline "American Idol Houston auditions recap: Baylie Brown, Skylar Laine, Ramiro Garcia top the night."