‘American Idol’: Kristine Osorio And Ramiro Garcia Make Texas Proud
If you thought American Idol was aiming to be softer and gentler this season — with less emphasis on, shall we say, quirky hopefuls during the auditions for the judges to use as punching bags — then the show finally got back on track this week. We had a taste of the crazy with Magic Cyclops in Aspen. But Houston, Texas brought out Alejandro Gonzales, a 26-year-old hellbent on causing a revolution, and Phong Vu, who was hoping his spirit would make the judges “shock and wow and woooooooooo!” These oddballs managed to throw off Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, who set up shop in nearby Galveston, and began to bicker amongst themselves during the auditions. Top 5 People To Watch from the San Diego auditions:
Cheyenne James, 17. To be honest, Cheyenne isn’t that great. But she’s in a montage of auditions that causes a rift between Jennifer, Randy and Steven — because they can’t all agree on the talent, or lack thereof, in front of them — that turns out to be one of the highlights in this otherwise blase episode. “It is Jennifer versus the Boy’s Club,” declares Ryan Seacrest.
Kristine Osorio, 28. Right — on to the good singers, like mother of three Kristine Osorio, who is currently going through a divorce and uses the money she she got by taking out a loan to travel to the Idol audition rather than paying her divorce lawyer. Turns out it’s money well spent, because this tatted-up Texas flower can not only sing — her rendition of Adele’s “One And Only” truly is stunning — she’s also off to Hollywood.
Alejandro Cazares, 26. Oops! Did we say it was time to watch the good singers? ¡Viva la Revolución!
Baylie Brown, 21. Alright, alright. At least we spared you Phong Vu. On to this sweet 21-year-old nanny who first auditioned back in Season 6 and initially made it through, but crashed and burned during the dreaded group rounds in Hollywood. Randy is the only judge still around to remember, so it’s a somewhat fresh start for Baylie. She gives Bon Jovi’s “Bed Of Roses” a country twist. And with that, she’s off to Hollywood…again.
Ramiro Garcia, 28. This worship leader comes packed with the episode’s required sob story. He was born without ears. Doctors told his parents that he would never be able to hear or speak, but by age 4 he began to have surgeries to build ears — and it was discovered that he actually had ear drums. Appropriately, Ramiro sings “Amazing Grace”. (And how sweet the sound is!) “I like your insides,” Steven tells him. And the other judges agree.
Fifty-four singers made it through to Hollywood during the Texas auditions, though, again, you wouldn’t know it by the length of time spent on both Phong and Alejandro. Oh, well — Idol is off to the Pacific Northwest city of Portland next week.
What did you think of the Houston/Galveston auditions? Which contestant impressed you the most? Let us know what you think on Facebook, Twitter, or in the comments below.
