'IDOL' WATCH: The Best of the Rest

"Idol" closed out its fourth week of auditions with a "Best of the Rest" episode, containing singers from each of the seven audition cities. In typical "Idol" fashion, some of the singers were quite talented, while others were simply pitiful. Very few standouts were seen in this last episode; however, one of the more interesting stories to take place thus far on "Idol" was featured.

Personal trainer Michael Lynche, aka "Big Mike," gave a very nice performance of Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers. Lynche was passed through with four "Yes's" from the judges. It's there where the story gets interesting. On January 25th, several news outlets reported that Lynche had lost his eligibility from "Idol" after breaking his confidentiality agreement when his father told his local paper, The St. Petersburg Times, that he had earned a spot in the top 25. A tough turn for a talented singer. It was surprising "Idol" even decided to air his audition, as they could have easily passed over him in this episode.

Jessica Furney had more of a feel good story. Furney had been passed over during season eight after what appeared to be a rather bland audition. Furney came back singing Footprints in the Sand, originally sung by Leona Lewis and co-written by "Idol" judge Simon Cowell. Furney was much better her second time around and had a very gentle tone to her voice. Randy noted she was "much improved" and all four judges gave her a "Yes," putting her through to Hollywood.

Stephanie Fisher was not so lucky. Season nine brought about her seventh audition, though this was the first time Fisher had actually made it in front of the judges. Fisher's first song was Fever by Ella Fitzgerald and it was sung with very few notes in tune. After getting "No's" across the board, Fisher tried singing another song to the judges, this time deciding on Baby Love by Diana Ross. Again, the audition was awful, but, although Fisher began to breakdown, she left with her dignity.

Another repeat audition, Lacy Browne made the top fifty in season eight. Browne gave a heartfelt and unique rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow from the classic film The Wizard of Oz. Browne really made the song her own and was rewarded with a full set of "Yes's."

6'8" Adrian Candtchi allowed for one of the better Simon comments of the night. Candtchi performed the Elvis Presley hit, Cant Help Fallin' in Love with You, in falsetto the entire time. Kara said to him, "Adrian, there's like a small schoolboy trapped inside of you," to which Simon replied, "...Or you've eaten one." Simon also had a great response to Shaddaii Harris after her performance of Fallin' by Alicia Keys, sung with a tune that wasn't even close to the actual melody. Following her performance, Simon said, "I can't hear that song anymore...I'm actually allergic to it now."

Boston hopeful Amanda Schectman practically begged the judges for her golden ticket. Her performance of Good Morning Heartache by Billie Holliday didn't show much of her personality or connection with the song, but she was a talented singer. When asked why she was being so dramatic about the process, Schectman told the judges that she was an actress, which clearly explained The Situation. Schectman needs to connect with her songs, but the judges saw potential in her and gave her the ticket to Hollywood.

Overall, the evening provided for a fitting close to the audition rounds. "Idol" will get quite a bit more interesting in the upcoming weeks, ditching the amusing but tired bad auditions and replacing them with real competition.

Next week, "Idol" moves to Hollywood and will see the first appearance of new judge Ellen Degeneres during the four episodes of cuts. During these cuts, the 180 contestants will be whittled down to 12 males and 12 females for their first live performance on February 23rd. Fans will then be table to vote on their favorite contestants each week until an "American Idol" is crowned.
The next episode of "American Idol" airs Tuesday, February 9th, at 8PM EST on Fox.

"American Idol" is a reality competition to find new solo musical talent, created by Simon Fuller. It debuted June 11, 2002 on the Fox network and has since become one of the most popular shows on American television. It is currently the #1 TV show in the Nielsen Ratings and is one of only three that have been #1 for five consecutive seasons. The cast of "Idol" includes judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, Kara GioGuardio, and Ellen Degeneres, and host Ryan Seacrest.

The program aims to discover the best singer in the country through a series of nation-wide auditions, and subsequent viewer voting. Through telephone voting, America has chosen past winners Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks, David Cook, and Kris Allen.

Several "Idol" contestants have been seen on the Broadway stage, including Barrino (The Color Purple), Hicks (Grease), Clay Aiken (Spamalot), Diana DeGarmo(Hairspray), Josh Strickland (Tarzan), Tamyra Gray (Rent, Bombay Dreams), and Constantine Maroulis (The Wedding Singer, Rock of Ages).

"American Idol" airs on Tuesday and Wednesday nights on Fox at 8PM EST.

Photo Credit: MyIdol, SESAC

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