American Idol Recap: Jordan Jones Lands Ticket to Hollywood (And a Fiancée)
Find out who is going to Hollywood!
The Sunday Scaries might become a thing of the past since the 18th season of ABC’s American Idol kicked off, especially with the abundance of talent that host Ryan Seacrest seems to be sending through the door. In fact, there were so many incredible voices on the third night of televised auditions that judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie barely got to comment on some of the aspiring young performers.
And, in reality TV, not all of the talent is necessarily great, but if it makes it to television it’s usually, at least, interesting. Remember William Hung?
With the third night of auditions, we’re also more than halfway through the initial journey for these future superstars. But there’s always room for more in Hollywood!
KIMMY GABRIELA (17) – Lakeland, Florida / high school student
Dad is her biggest musical inspiration
- Auditioned with “Let’s Hurt Tonight” by One Republic
LIONEL: “That was fabulous.”
KATY: “Top 10.”
LUKE: “Her first note, I was like…yup.”
- YES to Hollywood
AMELIA (23) – Phoenix, Arizona / musician
- Auditioned with “Yesterday” by The Beatles
KATY: “You’re a dream.”
- YES to Hollywood
ERIN KIRBY (16) – Jasper, Georgia / high school student
- Auditioned with
KATY: “I don’t like it…I love it!”
- YES to Hollywood
JORDAN JONES (26) – Scottsdale, Arizona /
- Auditioned with “Lovesong” by The Cure
- YES to Hollywood
Proposed to his girlfriend following his audition.
LAUREN MASCITTI (23) – Nashville, TN / registered nurse
Accompanied by hit songwriter Shawn Camp
- Auditioned with an original song (“If I Can Lose You”)
KATY: “I love the feeling and emotion in your voice.”
LIONEL: “I think what I love the most is you have this sultry quality of a storyteller.”
- YES to Hollywood
RYAN HARMON (24) – Lamar, Arkansas / podcast host
- Auditioned with an original song (“I Knew This Would Happen”)
LUKE: “Your voice is pretty dang good, I’m just trying to wrap my head around if it’s American Idol…Don’t let people tell you stuff and let time pass you by.”
LIONEL: “Trust yourself to go to Nashville and get into the business.”
- NO to Hollywood
COURTNEY TIMMONS (22) – Harris Neck, Georgia / security guard
Finagled her way into the auditions through Ryan
- Auditioned with “Rise Up” by Andra Day
LUKE: “Are we being punked? So amazing.”
KATY: “You can sing…You are probably the best singer we’ve seen today.”
LIONEL: “You can sang. You are a bird, girl.”
- YES to Hollywood
LAUREN SPENCER-SMITH (16) – Vancouver Island, Canada / high school student
- Auditioned with “What About Us” by Pink
LIONEL: “Amazing control and as much as I want to critique, I think you just did a great job.”
LUKE: “I think your voice is super interesting. You have this tone that is making us very intrigued by you.”
KATY: I think you have such a God-given gift. You may be 16, but that voice is a thousand years old.”
- YES to Hollywood
DEWAYNE CROCKER Jr. (23) – Pensacola, Florida / worship leader
Great-grandmother came to meet Lionel
- Auditioned with “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin
LIONE: “I think that I like the timbre of your voice…I think you’ve got the goods.”
KATY: “I really want to tear down that wall and emotionally connect.”
- YES to Hollywood
DILLON JAMES (26) – Bakersfield, California /construction worker
Former addict
- Auditioned to “To Make You Feel My Love” by Bob Dylan
LUKE: “I think it was really just done with feeling and honesty. And your voice is a little not what I expect. It’s almost got this Chris Isaak thing going on.”
KATY: “You are mysterious. I’m intrigued. You have this interesting presence. It’s a bit like country post Malone…I love a spiritual cowboy.”
- YES to Hollywood
GEENA FONTANELLA (27) – Los Angeles, California / musician
- Auditioned with an original song (“Don’t Want You Back”)
KATY: “I think you’re very personable. I think you have a great voice.”
LUKE: “I think, in the verses, you have a really cool sound. I think just dig in a little more.”
LIONEL: “I love the character. You walk out on stage and we want to get to know you.”
- YES to Hollywood
JARED LETTOW (26) Santa Barbera, California / engineer
Yodeler
- Auditioned with an original song
LUKE: “I’ve hit my yodeling quota for the year.”
KATY: “I think you definitely have one of the coolest party tricks I’ve heard, but I don’t think you’re right for American Idol.”
- NO to Hollywood
SHANNON GIBBONS (20) – Bellcourt, New York / musician
- Auditioned with “I’d Rather Go Blind” by Etta James
KATY: “I’m not letting any more people go through unless they’re at least as good as Shannon.
LUKE: “It’s our new standard.”
- YES to Hollywood
ISAIAH GRASS (29) – Aiken, South Carolina / model, actor and social media influencer
- Auditioned with “Take On Me” by A-Ha
KATY: “You have a lot of range. It’s true, you can sing. I think you are more of a musical theater star, possibly, more than an American Idol star.”
LUKE: “Man, I just think you’re theater all the way through. You have a big, boy voice.”
- NO to Hollywood
GENEVIEVE LINKOWSKI (20) – Goodrich, Michigan / social media influencer
Made it to Hollywood on season 16, took a year off after sister passed away in car accident
- Auditioned with “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You” by Michael Bolton
LIONEL: “Tragedy can either destroy you or make you stronger. You have grown. You are no longer singing, you’re performing to the point I couldn’t stop watching you.”
- YES to Hollywood
After three nights of televised auditions, the talent continues to show up for the newest season of American Idol and frontrunners and favorites are already tentatively rising to the top. Of course, everything can change in Hollywood as tensions rise and group dynamics change. There are two more nights of auditions before the contestants head west on March 16 for the first night of Hollywood competition.
