Phillippi Sparks: A Proud Father Speaks

On Thursday, the day after Jordin Sparks, won the Season 6 "American Idol" championship, Newsday spoke former New York Giants player Phillippi Sparks, about his daughter's win the night before:

"Whoo!" Phillippi Sparks said. "Whoo!"

This was at noon Pacific Time yesterday, and he was speaking by phone from Los Angeles. "I haven't woken up yet," he said. "Actually, I didn't go to sleep."

Later, Sparks admitted to a two-hour nap, but all the dreaming he needed unfolded in real life.

Wednesday night, his daughter, Jordin, was crowned "American Idol" of 2007 upon winning a televised singing competition you might have heard about.

It was the culmination of a whirlwind that left the 17-year-old vastly more famous than her father ever was as a borderline star cornerback for the mostly dreary Giants of the mid-1990s.

Sparks, 38, was happy to be a supporting actor in the drama.

"You know what's cool about it?" he said. "The cool thing is that I'm her dad. That's all that matters. I was a little bit famous, but this? I'm just speechless right now, man."

In the early rounds of Idol, Sparks watched Jordin sporadically, spending time at home in Arizona with his 15-year-old son, P.J., whom he called "a very smart, intelligent young man who loves sports and who will be famous, too."

Once the field was whittled to 12, Sparks and his wife, Jodi, were regulars in the studio audience and on TV. Fox does not allow contestants' relatives to do one-on-one interviews for fear of providing an edge in the voting, but yesterday he was free to talk - and to bask in the moment.

"I'm just so blessed and honored to be a part of my daughter's life," he said. "It's overwhelming. She just hugged me and wouldn't let me go and was like, 'Dad, hold me, hold me, hold me.' You can imagine how I felt. I couldn't hold it back, bro. Some tears came out. Unbelievable."

Jordin's parents met while Sparks played at Arizona State. The Giants drafted him in the second round in 1992. He played for them through 1999, then spent a season with the Cowboys before retiring.

The Giants made the playoffs only twice in his time, including the notorious first-round collapse against the Vikings in 1997 during which Sparks had a heated confrontation with a teammate on the field. He said in advising Jordin before the last two rounds that he used football analogies.

"I told her the final three was like the playoffs," he said. "The final two, babe, is something I couldn't get to but you can: the Super Bowl."

(The Giants got there the season after Sparks left.)

Sparks has been coaching defensive backs at Glendale Community College, where he played, as well as his son's youth team.

And? "And that's about it," he said, adding he hopes to play on the celebrity golf tour.

Handicap? "I'm not letting that out," he said. "I'm not great, but I am good enough to beat most of the guys on that tour."

Sparks said even after seven years, the transition to retirement from the NFL is not easy. "I still want to play, every day," he said. "You have to let it go. But everybody lets it go in their own time."

Despite her age and Idol's presumed mission to discover unknown talent, Jordin is a seasoned performer with a long resume, and she has been home schooled since last year. Her father said she is levelheaded and he is not concerned fame and fortune will spoil her.

"No, if you see her, and I'm sure you have, she's incredible, a normal teenager," he said. "She's just a young lady who happens to have a beautiful voice. She's blessed.

"Like she said, 'Why me, Lord?' "

LISTEN TO JORDIN'S FIRST RELEASE
FULL VERSION OF 'THIS IS MY NOW'

The player below has streaming audio of the full version of Jordin Sparks first release, "This Is My Now." See if you like. It can be purchased at iTunes or at AmericanIdol.com.



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And the Winner Is ...

JORDIN SPARKS -- Your new American Idol!

Complete recap with videos in the morning ...

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© 2007

Los Angeles: City of Angels and Fools

Idol went "home" to Los Angeles. Ah, home. It's where the heart is, isn't it? And Idol proved it with a very touching moment. We award the show a Golden Ticket for the season's best moment, featuring a very non-Idol-like Sherman Pore. Now if Sherman were, say, 24, instead of ummm, 64, he would have had the perfect backstory. It had guest judge Olivia Newton-John's eyes puddling up. It had Paula Abdul crying. It even seemed to touch crusty curmudgeon Simon Cowell.

Sherman didn't come to Idol for himself, he came for his lady, armed with a petition signed by more than 300 people asking the show to let him audition. Sherman's lady had cancer and he wanted to do something -- anything -- to keep her spirits up, so he decided he would try out for Idol. She loved the idea and worked with him on it to the end. Unfortuntely, Sherman's lady died two days shy of the audition date. There was a gasp when Sherman revealed this to the judges, but he told them he didn't want their sympathy, he just wanted to sing for his lady. So Simon told him they won't give him sympathy, but they would let him sing. And sing he did, a lovely rendition of The Duprees' "You Belong to Me."

Our only regret was that Simon didn't let him complete the song. For all the long, lousy auditions we've been forced to endure, this was one we would have gladly sat through. Afterward, Simon and Randy shook Sherman's hand and Simon told him he's a good man; Paula and Olivia embraced him. Outside the audition room, Sherman told the camera, and us, that he's won. We were -- and are still as we write this -- awash in tears. Yes, perhaps it was a contrived moment by the producers, but we still thank them for showing us a true American Idol.

Unfortunately, there were very few other good moments in Los Angeles, although overall it was a very mellow, if boring, show. The camaraderie between the three judges and guest judge Olivia Newton-John was obvious. Although she contributed little to the evening in terms of critiquing, they all seemed to like Newton-John very much, especially Paula and Simon.

Amazingly, we are told that a total of 40 people received Golden Tickets in L.A., but the night was dominated by the bad, the worse and the crazy. Quickly proving that he belonged in last category was panther boy and first auditioner Martik Manoukian, aka Eccentric. He told us, "I am a panther man. I’m the most exciting entertainer on planet Earth." He entered the audition room, stripped off some clothing, then went into his panther routine: clawing, crawling on all fours, growling, approaching the judges table then retreating, for what seemed like 5 minutes, until Simon irritably asked if they could just get on with the singing. Perhaps that was a mistake, it was even more annoying than what preceded it.

As bad and only slightly less delusional was Taylor Hicks-obsessed Phuong Pham, who received a bit of sympathy by telling the camera that her mother told her she wasn't pretty enough for TV and that she was no Katharine McPhee (thank god). However, the sympathy came to an abrupt halt when she told the judges she abandoned her music to please her family then went on to absolutely mutilate "Dancing in the Street." Her jerky body movements made Taylor's look graceful by comparison. She needs to be arrested by a Soul Patrolman. Quickly.

Sadder still was Marianna Riccio, whose mother had been one of Dean Martin's Golddiggers. Marianna is passionate about her singing, has been training her whole life and wants to carry on her family's show-biz tradition. There's only one problem: She stinks as a singer. When she performed "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" Simon told her they could answer that question. He said she sounds, and we agreed, like "Cher after she's gone to the dentist." In an utterly pathetic move, she got down on her knees and begged them to reconsider. It took forever to get her to leave, but then she returned to the audition room with her mom, who tried to vouch for her daughter's singing abilities. The saddest part of all occurred after the two finally left the room and Simon and Randy started talking about how foxy Marianna's mom is.

Further proving that Simon seemed to be on the prowl was Alaina Alexander, a struggling singer who weepily revealed that she was giving her career one last shot with Idol (yeah, yeah, wanna bet?). As far as Simon was concerned, she delivered with Michael Buble's "Feeling Good." We weren't so sure. As Randy would say, it was "aight," not great. In fact, Randy thought she was pitchy. But Simon thought was she great. She got four "yeses," though not overly enthusiastic ones, except from Simon, who told the others after she left that he really likes her. Or was it that tight tube top dress she wore that he really liked?

Then there was Eric Mueller, who had slitty blue eyes and said he had been training for idol for two years, even cutting off his social life (we're sure the females of America were grateful for that). He also said that people are going to hear his voice and think "I haven't heard anything like that in a long time." Yup, he was right. After telling the judges he had spent 4 to 5 hours a day teaching himself to sing, he went into a Hilary Duff song, and the voice issuing from his mouth might have been higher than Michael Jackson's. Simon thought it was a joke and asked him to sing in a lower pitch (as if that would help). Randy told him to sing in his own tone. In one of the night's funniest moments, Simon read Eric's background notes after he was dismissed and discovered, much to his delight, that Eric taught himself to sing with Paula's and Randy's "Ultimate Voice Coach" DVD. He ran out of the room to find Eric, trailed by Randy and Paula. Hilarity, as they say, ensued.

High on the "eeeeuwww" factor for us was overly affectionate couple Cavett "Sparkles" Carr and Darold Gray, who hail from Compton. Darold wore camouflage fatigues and sported a grill on his top teeth. OK, maybe we just don't get these things, but why would anyone want to put all that metal and bling in his mouth? Didn't "metal mouth" used to be a derogatory term? It just made us cring. But apparently grills don't get in the way of love. The way Sparkles and Darold were going at it, we wanted to scream, "Get a room."

Sparkles, up first, obviously had a thing for Simon. While outside Darold was telling Ryan how he and Sparkles were soul mates, inside she was licking her lips, winking and flirting with Simon, who actually seemed embarrassed. As we said, "eeeeuwww." Of course, Sparkles couldn't sing. After Darold finished his equally awful performance, Simon inquired, "Do you and your girlfriend sing together
at home?" When Darold responded affirmatively, Simon said, "Are the police ever called?" Darold answered, "It depends on what type of music we're listening to." Hmmmm.

Then there was Brian Miller, who also made it through last
year, but was eliminated during the Hollywood rounds. He sang "A Change Is Gonna Come" (nowhere as well as Taylor Hicks did during his Season 5 audition), and Simon told him, "Nice looking guy, nice voice, forgettable." When Brian asked if he'd improved since last year, Simon answered, "I can't remember you." But Randy liked his voice and Olivia liked his sweetness. He got through, with Simon saying "no." Anthony Adams, a cute guy who had no voice, actually agreed when Simon told him that not one note was in tune, an acknowledgment Simon seemed to appreciate. And Sholandric Stallworth, who said he wanted to bring back romance and love to music, and who was meant to remind us of Barry White, delivered an excruciatingly bad version of "If Ever You're in My Arms Again."

Best of the evening, which is not saying much, was
Brandon Rogers, a backup singer trying to move into the forefront. His sweet rendition of "Always on My Mind" left Paula and Olivia sighing. Simon said Brandon has a likeability and that he could see him moving into the finals. Perhaps, but we were surprised Simon didn't tell him that he sounded too old-fashioned. You can never tell with Cowell.

Next week the auditions finish up in San Antonio. Yee-ha!

IDOL UPDATE

In an AP interview, Season 5 finalist Chris Daughtry, who has Billboard's No. 1 album, discusses the first mini-scandal of his career, perpetuated by actress Melissa Joan Hart (“Sabrina, the Teenage Witch”). In a recent post on her MySpace.com page, an angry Hart claimed that Daughtry and his good friend, “Idol” also-ran Ace Young, were taking all the credit for writing “It’s Not Over.” Her husband, musician Mark Wilkerson, wrote an early draft of the song with producer Greg Wattenberg, who later asked Daughtry and Young to add a chorus.

“I’ve never met Melissa Joan Hart,” says Daughtry, who phoned Wilkerson, who was not aware of Hart’s rant, to smooth things over. “I don’t know her from Adam. If she’s mad at me for something that I don’t know about, that’s pretty funny actually! ... I was like, Sabrina’s mad at me? For WHAT?”

Hart has since removed the post, yet Daughtry remains bemused.

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Sweet (and Sour) Home Alabama

Ah, Birmingham, the city that gave us Ruben Studdard, Bo Bice and Taylor Hicks. How could we lose? Well, apparently by a country mile. Not that there weren't good voices, some 20 tryouts snagged their Golden Tickets to Hollywood. But folks, that meant the rest of the 11,000 went home empty-handed, and Fox wanted to make sure we saw, and heard, that Southern contestants could be as hard on the ears and eyes as anyone else. However, there was a difference between the tryouts in Birmingham and other cities. These folks were almost all unfailingly polite when told "no" by the judges. Most said "thank you" as they left. Few begged to sing another song; fewer still cursed and screamed, though there were some tears.

By now, any Idol fan should know that the No. 1 way to get Simon pissed at you is to sing "Unchained Melody" badly. Yet, it seems to be the song of choice for innumerable lousy singers who, in their delusional states, actually think they're going to win Cowell over by butchering the Righteous Brothers classic. First up, Alabama homegirl Erica Skye, who said if she doesn't make it as a singer she would probably do something in the dental field. Sinking her teeth into "Unchained Melody," she chewed it up and spit it out. How bad was she? According to Simon, merely "neverending torture." And when she tried to mangle a Dixie Chicks tune after being told "no," Paula got up and left the judges' table.

The weirdness and badness continued with newlywed Katie Bernard, whose speaking voice made Paris Bennett's almost sound normal. She assured the judges that her singing voice was different, and it is. Nonetheless, we thought her version of "A House Is Not a Home" the strangest we've ever heard, her voice sometimes rich and full, other times a barely audible whisper (when we suspect she couldn't hit the right notes). Shockingly, Randy wanted to give her another chance in Hollywood, but Paula wisely told her to stay home with her new husband, an idea that seemed repugnant to Katie, compared with becoming the next Idol. After bringing her husband into the room and pleading with the judges, in a stroke of madness, Paula let her through. Yeah, she'll be gone in a Hollywood flash, but what about all the other, better singers (Memphis' Frank Byers Jr. anyone?) who weren't given that chance?

Over the course of the hour, covering the two days of auditions, we were also subjected to Brandy Patterson, who murdered Madonna's "Like a Virgin" than gave judges Jackson and Cowell (Paula did not show up for Birmingham's second day because she had to return to Hollywood on family business) no end of lip, first sarcastically, then profane.

Then there were the twin fashion and voice disasters. The first was Diana Walker, a big girl who claimed to be a former cheerleader, who badly mangled Whitney Houston's "Saving All My Love." Her dress, with its pink netting top and tight black bottom, made her look as if she had no breasts but had ingested a beach ball, and seemed to amuse Simon even more than her voice. And we suffered through Margaret Fowler, who at first claimed to be 26 but later fessed up to 50 (which we even doubted) and whose name seemed to be the inspiration for her head-to-toe yellow feathered Big Bird-like outfit. Question: Did anyone intentionally blind themselves after Fowler lifted her blouse TWICE and exposed her abdomen and tight stretch pants? Margaret, if we want to see flesh badly in need of diet and exercise we'll look in a mirror. We really don't need to see yours.

Lakia Hill, who told the judges she had "the whole package," was sadly pathetic, but polite, and left without a fuss after being turned down. And then there was Cousin Itt Victoria Watson and her mom (what is it with the bizarro mother and daugter look-alikes this year?), who has been growing her six-foot-long hair her whole life. Actually, her rendition of Josh Groban's "You Raise Me Up" sounded just as good as Kevin Covais' audition last season, but there was no Paula to save her, and Randy capitulated to Simon's not putting her through.

Nichole Gatzman was another borderline singer who
probably deserved to make it to the Hollywood round (especially since helium-voiced Katie Bernard was going). She sang a fairly decent version of "Something to Talk About," and for a second we thought Simon and Randy would give her a thumbs up, in spite of what Simon called her nasally voice. But in the end, with no female presence to defend her, she, too, got the boot from the boys.

In a bit of a surprise, Paula was the reason that Bernard Williams II almost didn't make it to Hollywood. We liked his performance of Michael Jackson's "Rock With You," as did Simon, who gave him a "100 percent yes." Then Paula said she liked the tone of his voice but that he was totally off key. Luckily for Bernard, he and Randy had a "dawg" moment and he received his Golden Ticket.

There was no such hesitation with Tatiana McConnico, a 17-year-old student attending a performing arts high school, who said she was born to be a singer. She loves the show and the judges loved her version of “I Never Loved a Man,” putting her through easily to Hollywood.

The "I Wannabe Kellie Pickler Sob Story of the Night" award is presented to 17-year-old Jamie Lynn Ward. You see, Jamie Lynn's daddy isn't in prison, he only should be. But he is paralyzed from the neck down ("but it's OK") and po' l'il Jamie Lynn helps her grandma take care of her daddy ("but it's OK"). Apparently, daddy caught stepmommy cheatin', so he shot her. Then he shot himself ("but it's OK"). This backstory was so melodramatic, we wondered whether it was fabricated (but it's OK). And we were incredibly annoyed by her "but it's OKs." OK for whom? Your cheatin' bullet-ridden stepmommy? You're paralyzed from the neck down daddy? You? And yes, we couldn't help wondering who was going to help take care of daddy while Jamie Lynn is Hollywood, a reward she received for an adequate rendition of Christina Aguilera's “Reflection.”

Most enjoyable performance of the evening goes to Chris Sligh, who entertained with his humor as much as with his singing. He did a respectable version of Seal's "Kiss From a Rose." And he was FUN-NY. He said some people say he looks like Jack Osbourne, while others say he looks like Jack Black, but he looks in the mirror and sees Christina Aguilera. When Simon asked him why he was there, he answered that he wanted to make David Hasselhoff cry, in a reference to the big teardrop dripping down Hasselhoff's face after Taylor Hicks won last season. And after he got his Golden Ticket to Hollywood with three "yeses," he said that he won the judges over with his personality: "I just looked at Paula and she crumbled into my chubby little hands."

Could Hollyweird be any weirder than this? Check it out tonight, when the road show moves home to Los Angeles (San Antonio was on the original schedule for tonight).

Love for Idol?

In a move that could only be described as jumping from the frying pan into the fire if true, UsMagazine.com says that Courtney Love exclusively told the site that Idol executive producer Nigel Lythgoe called her office last week inquiring into whether she would be interested in sitting in as a judge on the hit FOX show.

"He called," Love said. "He was wondering if I was interested. I thought it was kind of weird but brilliant." Love, who is currently in L.A. recording a solo album, declined to reveal any more specific details. But a source told Usmagazine.com that Lythgoe was considering having Love "replace Paula."

American Idol reps could not immediately be reached for comment.

Alumni News

According to Newsday's Robert Kahn, "Broadway Backwards 2," where singers perform standards traditionally associated with members of the opposite sex, has its second coming Feb. 26. Rosie O’Donnell, Betty Buckley, Bebe Neuwirth, Tony Roberts, Jose Llana, Liz Callaway, Len Cariou and downtown theater legend Charles Busch are already signed on for the gender-bending benefit, to be held at 37 Arts in Manhattan.

Last year’s inaugural concert featured show tunes with a twist, such as Andrea Burns’ rendition of "Maria" from "West Side Story." This time around, expect curiosities such as "I Don’t Know How to Love Him," from "Jesus Christ Superstar," as performed Season 4 American Idol finalist Constantine Maroulis.

The concert, with musical direction by Seth Rudetsky, benefits New York’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center. Tickets are $35 to $250; call 212-307-4100.

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Birmingham Auditions Leak

This from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: St. Louis performer Sineta Roker, who auditioned last summer in Birmingham, made it through to the Hollywood rounds of "American Idol."

It's not known whether any of Roker's audition or interviews will be used on Tuesday night, but Roker wowed judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul.

"That felt so good, to not get any of the negative energy," says Roker, a 27-year-old mother from University City. "I didn't see the mean side of Simon at all. But I knew I couldn't get too excited because this was just the beginning."

A nervous Roker sang Michael Bolton's "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" and En Vogue's version of the Jackson 5's "Who's Loving You" for reps from the show. But she made it to the next round, which meant returning to Birmingham. Those auditions were in front of the show's top brass, Ken Warwick and Nigel Lythgoe. For the third round, she returned to Birmingham again and finally was in front of Cowell and crew.

"When I first walked in, Randy was like, 'Helllooo,' and Paula was like, 'Hi, pretty.' Simon didn't say anything. The first thing Randy says was, 'So, you're Al Roker's cousin?' " (She is distant relative of the "Today" show's Roker and musician Lenny Kravitz.)

After her performance, "Simon said yes. Paula said I had a beautiful smile and a beautiful voice, but she wanted me to be careful of song choice. Randy was the most constructive. He said when I come to Hollywood, he just wants me to come through the door bringing it," says Roker, who told Abdul that as a youngster, she attended Abdul's dance camp, which earned Roker a kiss on the cheek.

Roker calls the Hollywood experience awesome. "It wasn't just the fact of going to Hollywood," she says. "It was the whole experience of being around so many people with the same dream and goal, and us all knowing we could sing, not just people with dreams that seemed impossible."

MORE GOLDEN TICKET WINNERS

Pennsylvania's Express-Times and WFMZ-TV/69 report that
22-year-old Marisa Rhodes of Lower Saucon Township won her Golden Ticket to Hollywood at the New York auditions.

The pretty singer-actress-interior designer (Simon Cowell told her she looks like Elizabeth Hurley) said, "I was the first person to go in [in New York]. I was nervous and my hands were shaking. It was the first time I was at a loss for words. It was really, really weird. I'm still in total awe.

Burned out from juggling several music projects at the time, Rhodes decided to put her singing career on hold and move back home with her parents, Joseph and Mary Rhodes, of Lower Saucon Township. But at the encouragement of her mother, Rhodes opted to give singing another shot and made the trek to New York City in August to try out for "Idol."

Rhodes endured three rounds of auditions before singing "I Can't Make You Love Me" for Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Carole Bayer Sager. "Everyone was so amazing. And much to everybody's dismay, Simon wasn't mean to me," Rhodes said.

The story goes on to say that the singer nearly missed watching her audition on TV because she was stuck in limbo on her way home from Hollywood. While the 100 Hollywood wannabes were whittled down to approximately 40 in November, it is believed that the Top 24 contestants who will vie for the Idol title and TV votes were selected only in the past two weeks. Does her return from Hollywood on Wednesday mean that Rhodes was among them?

Though contractual obligations keep her from discussing her progress in Hollywood, Rhodes is upbeat and optimistic of what is shaping up to be a bright and successful future in the industry. "Today is such a different day than yesterday, you know, because I can say 'I did it.' It's the start to a new life."

WFMZ-TV reports that another local resident, Tom Marchetto of Bethlehem, is also believed to have received a Golden Ticket to Hollywood.

Click here for a video link of Rhodes singing.

... The Memphis Flyer reports that Cheryl Humphrey, a music major at the University of Memphis' Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music and a member of the school's pop group Sound Fuzion, an ensemble of vocalists and instrumentalists, won her Golden Ticket to Hollywood at the Memphis auditions show.

Humphrey, a native of Little Rock, is pursuing degrees in recording technology and jazz performance. She is the second member of Sound Fuzion to make it to Hollywood. The first was Lashundra “Trenyce” Cobbins, an Idol finalist in 2003.

... Auburn Hills, Mich., resident Abbey Rondo is another singer rumored to have won a Golden Ticket to Hollywood, according to The Daily Tribune. The 25-year-old auditioned for the show and was flown to Hollywood, but cannot divulge how she fared.

"I can't actually comment on that," Rondo said because of the 12-page contract she signed that restricts contestants from releasing information about their participation.

Rondo said after the Hollywood round has aired she can talk about her experience. She is a youth minister for fourth- and fifth-graders at Kensington Community Church in Troy. She sings at many of the ministries offered at the church.

... The Albany Times-Union that Melissa Sgambelluri, an employee at Jean Paul Day Spa & Hair Salon in Stuyvesant Plaza and a former promotions staffer at radio station JAMZ 96.3, received her Golden Ticket to Hollywood in Memphis. Although she was not seen auditioning on the show, she was seen: She was the woman in the red T-shirt who jubilantly jumped into the fountain in Memphis Tenn., clutching a coveted Golden Ticket. (Sgambelluri was rejected at a New Jersey audition earlier in the summer. She tried again in Memphis, Tenn.)

"WAAAAH! I'm going to Hollywood!" the 23-year-old screamed, kicking the water. Sgambelluri had sung Christina Aguillera's "Ain't No Other Man" for the judges, and was asked by Abdul to sing another song. She launched into the George Gershwin song "Someone to Watch Over Me" -- the same song that got her knocked out of a previous "Idol" audition.

She knew she did well, but added "You never know with that show." Jackson and Abdul gave their "approval," but Sgambelluri added that "Simon didn't say yes or no" -- the notoriously rough judge's vote was moot.

A WANNABE AUDITIONS IN L.A.

Quotes from an AP story via Fox News.com by writer and American Idol hopeful Solvej Schou, who tried out in Los Angeles:

... The cool morning air had already turned wickedly hot. Across from where we sat, way on the other side of the stadium, were a dozen tented booths, side by side. Behind that ... exits.

Once we settled in, a jubilant emcee roared us to our feet to sing the L.A. audition's retro theme song — "Daydream Believer" by the Monkees. Well, the chorus of it, at least, over and over.

We waved to the swooping camera, we yelled "I'm the next 'American Idol'!" and we waited.

Row by row, we lined up to audition in front of one of those 12 booths, four participants to a booth.

Sure enough — no Simon, no Randy, no Paula.

... At the judging table in front of us sat two 20-something producers. One was a young woman with sunglasses so large, she could have been napping behind them. The other was a young man with his head propped up in his hands. He said nothing and looked bored. Suddenly Simon seemed not so rude after all.

LOSERS ... OR WINNERS?

Reality TV Magazine reports that an episode of Larry King Live included some American Idol rejects, as well as previous American Idol finalists Justin Guarini, Kimberly Caldwell, Ace Young and Bucky Covington weighing in with their opinions of the show.

Covington revealed that after wannabes get past that first round, they sign a contract that says “if there’s anything funny about you, we’re going to go after it” and “we’re going to hurt your feelings.” The country singer also talked about his upcoming debut on the Grand Ole’ Opry on March 9.

Ian Benardo said he didn’t feel taken advantage of because he got so much publicity out of it, but Sarah Goldberg said that she got suckered in and complained about the judges showing up late for the auditions.

Chris Henry said his audition has led to some Broadway job offers, and Frank Byers said he was taking voice lessons to get ready to go back next year.

The most famous American Idol reject of all, William Hung, sang his new single “Achy Breaky Heart.” After Bucky Covington started laughing, Larry King asked Hung if he had made over a million dollars so far. Hung smiled and answered “Uh, well, it’s safe to say, it’s safe to say.”

JENRY BEJARANO

Capital News 9 (click on the link to watch the video), a 24-hour cable news station in Albany, N.Y., reports on Jenry Bejarano, the 16-year-old (now 17) whose voice and and tall good looks won him a Golden Ticket to Hollywood in New York.

Of his Idol audition, Bejarano said, "For me, it was really like it was comfortable. I felt comfortable. It was fun."

"For Paula, obviously, I dressed nice. Dress as comfortably as I can, try to look sexy for the girl. You know what I'm saying?" Bejarano said. And Abdul told him, "You're easy on the eyes as they say."

Impressing Randy Jackson, Bejarano said, was a matter of being cool.

"You've got something really charismatic about you," guest judge Carol Bayer Sager said.

"Simon wasn't there. He was drunk the night before, so he didn't come. So, I didn't get to see him," Bejarano said.

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