American Idol Recap: Grace Leer Perfoms ‘Crowded Table’ by The Highwomen
What was your favorite audition from this season?
It was the final night of auditions for season 18 of ABC’s American Idol with back-to-back nights of competition as Hollywood kicks off on March 16.
While it seemed as if viewers saw more clips of singers who didn’t make it through, we also learned that after a couple of years of judging, the panel has developed an ability to foresee how far a singer can go. “We can kind of tell when a contestant is going to get gobbled up in the final rounds,” Luke Bryan said, however, Katy Perry went on to tell one singer, “The best form of success is proving us wrong.”
Still, there are limited slots and at the end of the pre-recorded auditions, they were set for Hollywood.
ROBERT TAYLOR (27) – Donaldsonville, Louisiana
- Auditioned with “Bruises” by Lewis Capaldi
LIONEL: “I think your voice is absolutely incredible. When you’re talking to us, you seem shy. You sat at that piano and turned into the artist.”
LUKE: “You’ve been in an environment where people have built you up, where they’ve not built you up. We’re here to build you up.”
- YES to Hollywood
GRACE LEER (27) – Danville, California / technology sales
Previously made the Top 20 for American Juniors
- Auditioned with “Crowded Table” – The Highwomen
KATY: “I love the texture of your voice. I only saw a little bit of that beautiful authentic country yodel. I would never steer away from it.”
- YES to Hollywood
FRANKLIN BOONE (27) – Durham, North Carolina / music teacher
- Auditioned with “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac
LUKE: “Way to be that first note kind of singer. I mean the first note you hit told me a big, old story about you.”
KATY: “I think it would be an absolute shame if you couldn’t lead by example. If you want to win this thing, I think you stand a good chance. I appreciate your humility, but it’s time to shine.”
- YES to Hollywood
ROZZO CARTER (26) – Watts, California / community activist
- Auditioned with “Mother Bowed” by Pilgrim Travelers
LIONEL: “That’s what you call nat’l talent. It’s your interpretation that knocks me out. I don’t have to coach it up, coach it down.”
KATY: “I think you embody what American Idol stands for. You are the dream.”
- YES to Hollywood
MEGAN KNIGHT (21) – Lewistown, New Jersey / singer-songwriter
- Auditioned with “When Your Mind’s Made Up” by Glen Hansard
LUKE: “You’ve got a great voice, you play guitar great, you sing great. I think if you just let us coach you up a little bit on your vibrato.”
KATY: “I want you to listen to how hard you’re playing because sometimes it’s overpowering.”
- YES to Hollywood
GILBERTO RIVERA (23) New York, New York / subway singer
- Auditioned with “Proud Mary” by Tina Turner
LIONEL: “We’re in this business of uniqueness. You are clearly unique. Is it pop or is it theatrical? Theater may be your stage.
KATY: “You sang really well. You need to take yourself a little bit more seriously because your voice does stand out.”
LUKE: “There’s a lot of neat things going on in your voice. It wasn’t what I was expecting.”
- YES to Hollywood
JUSTIN OLIVER (24) Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Auditioned with “Treasure” by Bruno Mars
LUKE: “Vocally it just didn’t get all the way there for me.”
- NO to Hollywood
ALIANA JESTER (18) – Fort Walton Beach, Florida / server
- Auditioned with “Who’s Loving You” by the Jackson 5
KATY: “You have such an incredible gift. You can hit all the notes. I just want you to take what you’ve been through and put it in the words.”
LUKE: “I truly think you’re a special, special singer.”
LIONEL: “You’re a star. And you remind me so much of Whitney.”
- YES to Hollywood
JAHZAN(18) – Kingston, Jamaica / subway performer
Currently homeless after fleeing Jamaica for safety
- Auditioned with “Warrior” by Demi Lovato
KATY: “You did great. To me, you sound like a combination of Toni Braxton, Cher and Shakira. There’s something real interesting in your voice.”
LUKE: “You sound very different and unique…but we’re going to have to coach you up quite a bit. It’s going to make you a better singer and people are going to want to listen to you.”
LIONEL: “How you got to American Idol, only God knows, but you are here and we’re going to take this opportunity to take a little of that load off of you.”
- YES to Hollywood
JORDAN MOYES (25) – Provo, Utah / special ed adviser
- Auditioned with “I’m On Fire” by Bruce Springsteen
LUKE: “Your guitar playing, and your delivery, and your singing scream massive songwriting.”
KATY: “Your guitar playing is my favorite kind of guitar playing.”
LIONEL: “Very, very, very, very good.”
- YES to Hollywood
DEMI RAE (26) – San Jose, California / nanny
- Auditioned with “Mad At You” by Noah Cyrus
KATY: “There’s a million girls watching the television going, ‘Oh my god, I’m going to be just like her.’ You have such a great voice.”
LIONEL: “If this is how you sing scared to death and with no confidence, I can’t imagine how you’re going to be when you realize, ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve got this.’”
- YES to Hollywood
NASH (19) – Newman Lake, Washington / welder
- Auditioned with “Shoulda Been a Cowboy” by Toby Keith
KATY: “It’s definitely super country and your mullet is the cherry on the top.”
LUKE: “You’re really, really nasally and I think if you toned that down and worked on that.”
- NO to Hollywood
MAKAYLA BROWNLEE (17) – Wilmington, Kansas / high school student
- Auditioned with “Travelin’ Soldier” by the Dixie Chicks
KATY: “You’ve got a really good voice on you. I’m not a country aficionado, but it’s definitely something I would be tuning into.”
LUKE: “Get ready for a dog fight in Hollywood, but I’m ready to see you get in there.”
- YES to Hollywood
AMBER FIEDLER (23) – Coeur d’Alene, Idaho / server
Auditioned 38 weeks pregnant, putting baby up for adoption
- Auditioned with “Trust In Me” by Etta James
“That was so good.
LUKE: “Very, very timeless sound. Very easy to listen to. We can’t begin to imagine what you’ve been going through these past few months.”
LIONEL: “You were totally, absolutely positively in control. I think you did fabulously well.”
KATY: “You definitely have a really big shot at going very far if you want to. We’re here to support you through this process. Maybe you’re not ready to be a mom, but you’re ready to be an American Idol.”
- YES to Hollywood
Hollywood week kicks off with an undisclosed “big twist.” We’ll find out what it is in less than 24 hours!
