Memphis Auditions – Update

Here are a couple of follow up articles from the Memphis local media.  According to this article, Memphis came close to breaking a record:

“American Idol” hopefuls arrived by the thousands – 15, 000 to 16, 000, to be exact.

Producers of the Fox show, which is in its sixth season, said Sunday during their Memphis stop that the city had the highest number of registered contestants for the season.

Memphis came close to breaking the show's season four record-breaking crowd in Washington D.C., where 18, 000 Idol hopefuls tried out.

According to Producer Nigel Lythgoe, around 200 contestants continued on to today's second round auditions in front of Idol executive producers.  Auditioners who make the 2nd round cut will audition next month in front of Idol judges Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell.

Here's an interesting quote from Nigel Lythgoe from this article:

What producers look for in contestants is not necessarily the best singer, but a person with “Idol” quality, charisma or star power. “The performer will always win out over the technician, ” Lythgoe said.

Comparing contestants from this season's show, he said winner Taylor Hicks “had a great personality” that came across on screen, while Elliott Yamin, the third-place finisher, was a great technician. Yamin would be more of “a recording artist, more like Al Jarreau, ” more comfortable in a recording studio than before an audience.

Audition cities remaining are Minneapolis, MN, September 8 and Seattle, WA September 19.

thanks kirsten