Let’s cut to the chase: Symone Black, who fell hard off of the stage at the end of last night’s episode, is fine. Symone was taken to the hospital and treated for dehydration and seemed to be back on track, returning for group night on the arm of her possibly egomaniacal dad. She maybe would’ve been better off being sent home, if only to avoid the “Most Stressful Hell Week In Idol History” (Seacrest’s words). Jump below to see who got through — and who threw up — after the jump.

Before the end of the first act, we find out that Jeremy Rosado joins Symone and 184 hopefuls on the other side, but Lauren Mink and Ethan Jones are cut. At least we won’t be subjected to weeks of Ethan’s alcoholic-dad-in-rehab storyline being tediously drawn out. Now, on to groups!

The rules are a little different this time around: Groups have to be formed by an mix of day-one and day-two people, and this causes all hell to break loose! Everyone freaks because they’re afraid to make new friends, or something. Alisha Bernhardt, who is a police officer, refuses to compromise on song choice and can’t find anyone to sing Three Dog Night’s “Joy To The World” with her. This is for two reasons. 1.) Most of the kids thought she was referring to the Christmas carol, and 2.) No one likes cops. Here is some life advice, Alisha: If you are trying to make friends with minors, don’t lead with the cop thing.

In group “M.I.T.”, cowboy Richie Law tries to teach his teammates “salsa box steps”, but Heejun Han is having none of it, offering the camera a few deadpan stares worthy of “The Office.” Seacrest dubs it the battle of “East vs. West” in a subtly racist voice-over. Heejun tells us he no longer likes cowboys, not even the football kind. Ah, Idol, carefully stoking prejudice in pursuit of a compelling narrative!

Meanwhile, Amy Bronchfield, the girl from Tennessee who lives in a tent, is incubating a new super strain of the flu as part of a Machiavellian plan to decimate the competition. She rehearses with her group in wide-open spaces, maximizing the chance of airborne transmission. Her evil plot works and kids start dropping like flies. Literally, they are passing out left and right in the teases for next week. Gabrielle Carruba pukes; Phillip Phillips and Eben Christian each cut out of rehearsals early to convalesce. Ok, it wasn’t really intentional, but girlfriend was fully aware that she was not right and proceeded to hug and breathe on people. Gross. Fox crowns her “Patient Zero”, a title she completely earned.

And that’s about where Fox leaves us, staring at a group of five exhausted girls about to perform after a night of in-fighting and passive-aggressive power grabs, and knowing full well that an House-level medical maelstrom is about to swallow them whole.

Are you biting your nails for next week’s episode or LOLing as hard as we are at all the outsize drama? Tell us in the comments below, or on Facebook and Twitter.

We aren’t sure why Symone falls – is it nerves? Exhaustion? The pressure that comes with only being 16 years old and having your dream within arms’ reach as you compete on the biggest show on television? A combination of all three?

(Jump to 3:30 for Symone’s audition.)

All that’s missing from this alarming scene is Ryan Seacrest’s voiceover asking, “Does Symone die? Or does she live and make it to the second Hollywood round? Find out on the next… American Idol!” Is this how the show’s producers are making sure people stick around — by promising the thrilling conclusion of a teenager’s painful-looking fainting episode? Yeesh.

While we pray for Symone’s well-being, let’s refocus on the talent aspect of American Idol to see which memorable contestants will be continuing their journey — and which hopefuls had their trip to Hollywood cut short.

WHO GOT THROUGH:

**People we loved from the audition rounds. Jonny Keyser (aka Jonathan Rhys Meyers Jr.) from the St. Louis auditions will continue his quest for pop stardom, as will Phillip Phillips (aka Phil²) from the Georgia auditions and Pittsburgh’s quirky dude Reed Grimm, who follows up his Family Matters theme song with an equally adorkable song choice: “I’ve Got A Golden Ticket” from Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory.

**People we didn’t really love at all. Heejan Hun from the Pittsburgh auditions is still having confidence issues (and a weird hand shaking tick, apparently). Jennifer seems to love him, but we think his performance is shaky and underwhelming. And Bizarro theater queen Angie Zederman somehow made it through, despite (probably) not being any less weird than she was during her San Diego audition.

**David Leathers Jr. —aka Mr. Steal Your Girl aka The Youngest Looking 17-Year-Old In The World from the Savannah auditions — takes a gamble by singing a Celine Dion song with the sweetest of falsettos. Men of Hollywood, keep an eye on your girls, because Mr. Steal Your Girl will be hanging around a whole lot longer.

**Some great ladies: Jen Hirsch (from the Galveston auditions), whose main problem is fidgeting with her hair – though she managed not to rustle one lock while performing “Up To The Mountain”. Erika Van Pelt turned Pink’s “Glitter In The Air” into a whole new song (in a good way) and Jessica Phillips (from the Portland auditions) also wowed the judges and made it to the next round. (Jessica’s man – who is under Jessica’s care after suffering a stroke – was in the house to see her make it through. Aww.)

**Adam Brock took a cue from his conversation with J.Lo during the Pittsburgh auditions, and sings one of her favorite songs, “Walking In Memphis.” Works like a charm – he’s through, too.

WHO’S GOING HOME:

**Travis Orlando, the contestant whose mom ran out on him and his sick dad from the Pittsburgh auditions, will be unfortunately heading home. Jason “Wolf” Hamlin from the San Diego auditions and Ramiro Garcia from the Galveston auditions have a one-way ticket back to their hometowns, too.

**Jane Carrey (whose dad is Jim Carrey, but she sort of looks a lot like Miley Cyrus, no?) is a bit too smiley during her a cappella performance, and that may have cost her a chance at Idol glory.

Who were you sad to see be sent home? Did we get a brief glimpse of our next American Idol in this episode? And Symone is going to be okay, right? (We’re concerned.) Share your thoughts in the comments.

This is the final night of auditions before we head to Hollywood, and oh, what a nice, simple, unexciting audition process it has been. It’s clear that the Simon Cowell days of spouting cleverly evil metaphors are over, but we can’t help but miss the tragically embarrassing Idol moments that kept us laughing days later.

It’s not that we want to see anyone cry when their dreams crumble in front of them; the contestants we enjoyed the most were the foul-mouthed, clueless, overly-confident rejects who would flip the bird at the camera and curse out the judges on their way out the door. Or the hopeless but loveable brief additions to pop culture, like the “Pants On The Ground” guy. (Whatever happened to General Larry Platt, anyway? Is he hanging out somewhere with the Man With The Golden Voice?) Maybe those auditions weren’t sincere (or at least their inclusion on the show wasn’t), but they got people talking because they were wild and, more importantly, memorable.

Although there have been many impressive singers highlighted on the show, there haven’t been many to keep people yammering on around the watercooler (except maybe Jim Carrey’s daughter?). And for the first time this season, we honestly didn’t think there were five contestants interesting enough to include in our audition recap, which is either indicative of the talent in St. Louis, or the fact that a full minute of airtime was handed over to awkwardly previewing Madonna’s new music video for “Give Me All Your Luvin’”. So here are the three you should know heading into Hollywood Week:

The 3 Contestants To Watch From The St. Louis Auditions:

Johnny Keyser, 22. Johnny looks like Jonathan Rhys Meyers and sounds like Jason Mraz. He sings “Change Is Gonna Come,” and by god, we’re swooning as much as the judges. Johnny has enough good looks, confidence, personality and talent to send him to Hollywood only after singing a few notes. We see bright things for this one.

Rochelle Lamb, 28. Rochelle is currently going through a divorce from a man who tried to stop her from pursuing her dream, so she sings “Find Somebody New” by Faith Hill with her adorable daughter by her side. She has a lovely, spunky voice, and as much as we’re totally done with country – the one-two punch of Scotty and Lauren last season wore us out on the genre – we’re rooting for her.

Ethan Jones, 22. Ethan shall be known henceforth as The Contestant With The Bloody Forehead, as, you see, Ethan walked into his audition with a trickle of blood from a cut rolling down his face. (Yikes. We really couldn’t give the guy another five minutes to go dab a tissue on that, Idol producers?) He sings Edwin McCain’s “I’ll Be”, which we specifically marked as one of the 11 Things We Don’t Want To Hear In Season 11, but we guess Ethan didn’t read our post. Ethan isn’t as impressive as good as the judges think he is, but we are a little touched when his estranged dad, who has abused drugs and alcohol his whole life, tells him over the phone that he’s now clean and sober.

Today is the last day of auditions, as the Hollywood Rounds begin next Wednesday February 8. In our seven episode recaps, we have a total of 33 singers worth keeping an eye on — so refresh yourself on the Savannah, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Aspen, Houston and Portland auditions, and begin campaigning for your favorite to make it to the finals!

What did you think of the St. Louis auditions? Which contestant impressed you the most? Let us know what you think on Facebook, Twitter, or in the comments below.

Did You Hear?

:: Demi Lovato (rockin’ some hot red hair) gets saucy in a new photo shoot she did with photographer Tyler Shields. “I have received more emails asking me to release this shoot then any other shoot I have ever done. Lovatics are dedicated fans!” Shields wrote on his website. [Just Jared]

:: Is Simon leaving The X Factor and coming back to American Idol? No, but it seems like his harsh personality might. Steven, J.Lo, and Randy recently announced that are going to be more “stern” this season compared to last. [Reuters]

:: GQ Magazine named Chris Brown the Worst Dressed Man. Hey, that’s better than simply being named The Worst. [Pop Crush]

:: Nicki Minaj was apparently too busy to participate in this video spotlight featuring the Grammy nominees for Best New Artist. Oh well, more screen time for Skrillex then! [Arjan Writes]

:: Looks like Willow Smith isn’t whipping her hair back and forth anymore. Earlier today, she uploaded pictures of her newly shaved head. [Rap-Up]

After the jump, find out which acts you can find on the tube today.

Music On TV:

:: The Late Show With David Letterman (CBS) — Ziggy Marley
:: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (NBC) — Bush
:: Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC) — Young the Giant (Repeat)
:: Late Night with Jimmy Fallon — Snoop Dogg, Fitz and the Tantrums
:: Last Call With Carson Daly (NBC) — M83
:: Conan (TBS) — Evanescence
:: The Ellen DeGeneres Show — Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton

The Top 5 Contestants To Watch From The Portland Auditions:

Brittany Zika, 21. If you’re going to be in Portland, you might as well begin with a hipster. Enter Brittany, wearing black-framed glasses, suspenders and a hat right out of the costume department of Portlandia. Brittany, who seriously claims that her nickname is “Tripster The Hipster”, has a thing for Sara Bareilles, but instead chooses to sing Brandi Carlisle’s “The Story”. We find her voice sweet and syrupy, and Steven remarks, “You look nothing like how you sound.” We like her, and so do the judges, and she’s off to Hollywood. We hope she abandons the hipster shtick before she gets there.

Jermaine Jones, 24. This self-proclaimed Mama’s Boy has a big heart – and extremely long pants (he’s 6’8 and a half inches tall!). Jermaine sings “Superstar”, and he’s got a low, friendly tone to his voice. We think Jermaine could potentially do very well in this competition – he’s reminds us of Ruben Studdard if you stretched him out.

Britnee Kellogg, 27. Brittani breaks down into tears as soon as she’s asked why she’s there. She has two children, a cheating ex, and a sly sense of revenge, since she chooses to sing “You’re No Good”. Thankfully, she is plenty good, and she’s off to Hollywood. Before Britnee leaves, she asks Jennifer Lopez how she manages to be a mom while having a career, because this is 1954 and no one has figured out how to do that yet.

Romeo Diahn, 22. Talk about a dramatic back story. Romeo and his family fled Liberia in the early 90s and spent years living in a refugee camp in Ghana. He shyly performs Bob Marley’s “Is This Love”, and though it’s nothing special, we’re moved anyway. However, we have to agree with J.Lo (before she lets him through with a “little yes”) that we’re dubious how far Romeo will get in this competition with the types of songs he’ll have to sing. Still, aren’t you curious to hear Romeo on country music night?

Jessica Phillips, 25. Oh man, we’re running out of Kleenex. Jessica’s sob story is that her boyfriend had a stroke, was in a coma, came out of the coma with disabilities, and now she’s his primary caretaker. Remember a few episodes ago when living in a tent in the woods seemed like a tragedy? Well this is a million times worse. Jessica sings “Angel” by Faith Evans, and can you imagine if she was anything other than amazing? If the producers are going to include the audition of someone with this heartbreaking  back story, you better believe they’re going to be awesome. And she is.

Tonight: we get to see the St. Louis auditions, and a preview of Madonna’s new video for “Give Me All Your Luvin’”!

What did you think of the Portland auditions? Which contestant impressed you the most? Let us know what you think on Facebook, Twitter, or in the comments below.

We’re guessing this video is also a tease of what’s to come from Her Madgesty’s Super Bowl halftime performance.

And if you’re an impatient Madge fan and can’t wait four whole days, the W.E. soundtrack, featuring the Golden Globe-winning “Masterpiece”, is out tomorrow.

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.

Angie Zeiderman, 25. As mentioned above, Aspen’s best didn’t really impress (us, at least). So let’s start with the most fun hopefuls. Self-described vintage glitter queen (!) Angie Zeiderman is a waitress and part time singer. She struts in wearing her little flowered dress and proceeds to shake, twirl and drop to her knees while singing “If You’ve Got It, Flaunt It” from The Producers. Jennifer Lopez sees something in this Gaga-esque diva, but Randy isn’t into it… until she then sings “Blue Bayou”, and his mind is totally changed. Show the boys your birthday suit, Angie!

Magic Cyclops. This dude of unknown age definitely marches to the beat of his own drum, only that drum is banging away somewhere in the Twilight Zone. Davenport, Iowa native Magic Cyclops has a British accent from, he says, growing up and watching too much PBS programming. He also notes he had to leave his hometown because he owes  a lot of riverboat gambling debt, and he’s the proud owner of 11,000 air guitars (which, according to him, is five less air guitars than some guy in Belgium has). He screams out “Cracklin’ Rose” for the judges, and Neil Diamond must be so, so proud. So does he make it through? Randy gets up to take a bathroom break rather than vote, so there’s your answer.

Haley Smith, 18. Hippie chick Haley Smith loves the outdoors and does housecleaning, buses tables at a restaurant and is a vegetarian who makes sausage out of “ground everything”. She also apparently has a thing for old Rufus and Chaka Khan tunes, as she auditions with “Tell Me Something Good”. We find her interpretation of the R&B song to be sharp and, if we’re honest, kind of grating, but the judges love it and so she’s through.

Jairon Jackson, 19. One of the few decent Aspen auditions comes from this guy. Despite the advice of his friends, he belts out an original number that he wrote, because, as he says, “I have a lot of faith in this song.” J.Lo is instantly smitten with Jairon’s R&B tune, and declares that he’s “a lover.” Do you agree?

Shelby Tweten, 17. Sob story time! Young Shelby was diagnosed as being bipolar last year and has been struggling with depression since 4th grade. “American Idol has given me a reason to stay on my meds,” she says. (Hmmm. If only the same could be said for Magic Cyclops.) The sweet teen’s audition song is Carrie Underwood’s “Temporary Home”, and she’s actually not too bad. We just wonder if she’s going to be emotionally equipped to handle the intense pressure of the dreaded Hollywood Rounds after earning her golden ticket?

When all was said, done and sung, 31 crooners in Colorado made it through to Hollywood. Next up: Idol heads to Houston.

What did you think of the Aspen auditions? Which contestant impressed you the most? Let us know what you think on Facebook, Twitter, or in the comments below.

Jane Carrey, 24. If Ace Ventura’s daughter displays a somewhat laid back attitude about her famous father, there’s a good reason. “He’s not the most extravagant celebrity, so it’s been fairly normal,” Jane says during her intro. “It is difficult growing up in the shadow of something and trying to find your place in the world underneath this huge shadow.” At any rate, Jane found her way to Idol, where J.Lo immediately is thrown for a loop. “Do you remember me? I was one of the fly girls,” the onetime In Living Color dancer and Jim Carrey co-star asks. Jane’s reply: “I think I was like 2.” Aaanyway, Jane sings Bonnie Raitt’s “Something To Talk About”, and she’s just alright. The judges see her potential — and likely her ability to up the curiosity factor among viewers — and thus send her through to her hometown of Hollywood.

Ali Shields, 19. Another hopeful who is no stranger to the spotlight at this point is Lodi, California native Ali Shields. Her claim to fame is that she wrote a song for Ellen DeGeneres, which led to the daytime talk show host/former Idol judge calling Ali up on stage and assigning her the gig of doing red carpet interviews at the American Music Awards in 2010 — where she landed her first kiss with Mike Posner. And her second kiss with Usher. And her third kiss with… where were we? Oh, right — Ali’s rap audition. The Femcee spits out Chris Brown’s “Look At Me Now” for the judges and then, upon request from Randy, does some “ghetto dancing”. Classy. Let’s just say her booty-shakin’ is better than her singing on Corinne Bailey Rae’s “Like A Star”. Still, she manages to get a golden ticket. (Personality, it seems, does go a long way.)

Ashley Robles, 26. We’re absolutely smitten with this single mom/insurance account manager/DJ. And, in our minds, she gives the best audition by belting out — not to mention absolutely nailing — Whitney Houston’s version of “I Will Always Love You”. Super cute daughter, too.

Kyle Crews, 19. This blond-haired California native has “a tendency to serenade every pretty girl” he sees at his UC Berkley frat house. Awww. What a charmer. He even flirts with judge Jennifer by dedicating his audition song, Monica’s “Angel Of Mine”, to her. Turns out he’s got the pipes to back up his Casanova ways. (Kyle, you really have got to lose that flannel shirt, though.) “Best male voice we’ve heard yet,” Steven Tyler announces. Do you agree?

Jason “Wolf” Hamlin, 24. The final one we see auditioning in San Diego is golf course mechanic Jason Hamlin, aka Wolf. The burly dude tells Ryan that many of his female friends want him to plant a kiss on the Idol host. Despite this, he declines from doing so… until after his audition. Speaking of which, Wolf sings two songs — Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Midnight Special” and Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues”, the latter on which he plays a guitar his father, who died two years ago, made. Jason is just okay, to be honest. He’s kind of screamy on the Johnny Cash tune, but again, it’s personality that wins the judges over.

Finally Seacrest gets that kiss on the cheek. “Thank you for channeling the ladies,” he mutters to Wolf. And with that, Idol is off to see what talent Colorado has in store for Wednesday’s upcoming episode.

What did you think of the San Diego auditions? Which contestant impressed you the most? Let us know what you think on Facebook, Twitter, or in the comments below.

It is with a heavy heart that the music industry, and the world, says goodbye to one of the greatest female vocalists of all time today. Etta James, the legendary soul singer most famously known for her 1960 rendition of the softly swaying love song “At Last,” passed away in California on Friday (January 20) after a years-long battle with leukemia. James’ impact has reverberated through nearly six decades of pop music and will continue to influence future generations of musicians, as evidenced by the umpteen covers of her hits by artists and reality TV talent competition hopefuls alike.

For a taste of this, we’ve compiled a list of our 10 favorite Etta James covers below. Watch Adele, Beyoncé, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson and more pay tribute to the legend after the jump.

Beyoncé – “At Last” (for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama’s first dance at the 2009 Inaugural Ball) NOTE: this one wasn’t Etta’s favorite, but it was a soulful, emotional performance.

Christina Aguilera – “At Last” (Live from London)

Kelly Clarkson – “At Last” (American Idol audition, 2002)

Celine Dion – “At Last” (Live on the Oprah Winfrey Show)

Cyndi Lauper – “At Last”

Jason Mraz – “At Last”

Rachel Crow – “I’d Rather Go Blind” (The X Factor)

Adele – “Fool That I Am”

Josh Karjcik – “At Last” (The X Factor)

Rod Stewart – “I’d Rather Go Blind”

What is your favorite Etta James cover? Tell us in the comments, or on Twitter and Facebook.