American Idol - South Carolina, Come On And Raise Up!

The South wasn't as good to Idol as it had been in past seasons. Only 23 people made it through the South Carolina auditions, and here are the 4 we met.


The Good

• Michelle and Jeffery Lampkin - These rotund siblings delivered a carefully rehearsed rendition of "I'm Your Angel." All 3 judges loved Jeffery for his infectious personality. Simon and Paula put Michelle through, with Randy dissenting. I'm glad these two didn't get split up - they'll be fun in Hollywood. And I think Jeffery has the talent and personality to go a long way.
  
• Amy Catherine Flynn - Amy is a cute cheerleading Catholic school girl who's a member of STARS - Students Teaching and Respecting Sexuality. Her abstinence speech to Simon didn't convert him, but it did make me lose count of the number of times she began a thought with "and then you're like." Paula and Randy voted her through to Hollywood, while Simon feared she'd annoy people.
  
• London Weidberg - London took time off from her singing career to care for her cancer-stricken dad. He passed away, so now she is slowly getting back to her dream. She's attractive with a bluesy voice - not super-inspiring, but good.
  

The Bad and The Ugly

• Raysharde Henderson - He has a huge afro and said folks compare him to Clay Aiken. Simon agreed, but that isn't a good thing.
• DeAnna Prevatte - She was a waitress with a dry sense of humor and a hatred for all-you-can-eat customers who keep her running and only tip a dollar. I liked her spunk, but she really couldn't sing too well.
  
• Randy Stark and Crystal Ortiz - These lovebirds met on an Idol message board, where Randy is known as a guru dispensing audition advice. Sadly, nobody advised him not to bother waiting in line.
  
• Aretha Codner - Aretha has her namesake's tacky fashion sense and ginormous boobs but no trace of her voice.
• Joshua Boson - His overly-dramatic rendition of "I Am Telling You I Am Not Going" met with the judges' scorn, so Joshua said the show was fake and rigged and that Simon was not a good person. Classy!
• Oliver Highman - Wow, I actually thought Oliver was likable and had a really nice voice. Plus he had the dramatic story of having to leave the auditions because his wife went into labor. Yet, the judges passed. Maybe they realized he wasn't too smart since he almost couldn't find the hospital due to his inferior Mapquest directions. Next time use Google Maps, dude!