This 18-year-old from Sioux Falls, S.D., says the first time anyone heard her sing publicly was at a solo competition in Davenport, Iowa. She finished first out of 30 contestants. Not a bad start, huh? Audri — that’s what she goes by — graduated from Washington High School last year, but first participated in the school’s show choir and played Belle in its production of “Beauty and the Beast.” She’s also a worship leader at at New Life Church where a song she wrote, “Because Your Love is Better Than Life,” is a congregation favorite, according to a story in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader. Link: Go here to listen to a song Audri performed on a local radio station.

Brittany Stone

This teen from White Oak, Texas, says she’s very competitive and likes to win regardless of what she’s involved in, whether it’s “tennis or rock, paper, scissors.” And Brittany played tennis and softball at White Oak High School. As for singing, she says she has wanted to audition for Idol for years and earned the right when she won a session of the American Idol Experience at Disney World. She also plays piano and used to clog. Link: Go here to watch Brittany’s Idol video interview.

Chelsea Chandler

This Tennessee gal has quite the sense of humor. In her Idol video, Chelsea says she has “an impeccable skill at injuring myself.” Which might explain why she’s singing now after showing horses, figure skating and dancing in earlier years. Then there’s the video I’ll point you to in a moment, in which Chelsea sheds a towel in the shower to sing. No worries. Under the towel she’s wearing a rhinestone studded black dress and cowboy boots. Chelsea says she prefers country music, but can perform other genres as well. And she swears she defies the pretty blonde stereotype. After all, she graduated from college at 21 with degrees in psychology and music and was an honors student. Link: Chelsea sings two songs in this audition video, including “Suspicious Minds.” You’ll find several other videos of her performing on YouTube.

Christian Spear

This 16-year-old from Houston is the leukemia survivor we met in the Dallas audition episode. Diagnosed at age 4, she was declared cancer free at age 8. And she’s been wanting to audition since the first season of Idol, but wasn’t eligible until last summer. At age 13, she participated in Sugarland Superstar, an American Idol-like competition in Houston that she calls her most memorable performance. Oh, and she has a birthmark in her hair. Or so she says in her Idol video interview. Link: Go here to hear Christian sing covers of a number of songs, including “Impossible” and “Superwoman.”

Dawntoya Thomason

This gal from Dallas, Texas, says the fact that she’s a black female who wants to sing country music should set her apart from other contestants (except perhaps, Haeley Vaughn from the Denver auditions). Among her other talents, Dawntoya lists acting. And, judging from Tweets I’ve seen, she apparently has a minor role in an upcoming film called The Grace Card, starring Louis Gossett Jr. Back to her singing, Dawntoya recalls wanting to do the solo for “Joyful, Joyful,” when her middle school put on “Sister Act.” She didn’t get it. “I thought, this is going to push me to be the best I can be.” Link: Go here for Dawntoya’s Idol video interview.

Erica Rhodes

You certainly haven’t forgotten 23-year-old Erica. She’s the former child actress in Barney and Friends who showed up in the Idol audition room wearing black leather and carrying a whip. Not sure whether she got the golden ticket for her rendition of En Vogue’s “For Your Mind,” the outfit, or her performance of the Barney theme song while wearing the outfit (the look on Simon’s face was priceless), but she’s bound for Hollywood. She’s also a pretty accomplished actress, judging from her resume and danced for the Dallas Desperadoes (an Arena League football team) from 2005-07. Link: Go here to watch her audition again. To here to hear her sing “Thing Called Love.”

Erynne Hundley

She’s a daddy’s girl from Keller, Texas, so it isn’t surprising that her most memorable musical experience includes her father. In the fourth grade at elementary school, she was part of a medley and sang “I Believe I Can Fly.” “I looked down in the audience and he (her dad) was swaying and humming to the music with me.” Erynne’s grown up now and attending Oklahoma City University, and says folks might be surprised to learn she’s a member of a sorority there. She also told Idol in her video interview that she has “a voice that should be heard.” Link: Go here to watch Erynne’s Idol interview.

Heather Todd

You’ve heard of wedding singers, right? You might call Heather the funeral singer. “My whole life, I grew up singing at every funeral,” she says. “They just nominated me to sing. They didn’t ask me if I liked it or not.” But she said her singing performance at her grandmother’s funeral seemed to put everyone at peace with what had happened, and she ranks that as her most memorable performance. Heather has two children who she says were her inspiration in auditioning for Idol. And she’s a huge fan of the mixed martial arts Ultimate Fighting Championship. Link: There’s a Heather Todd on MySpace with lots of music, but I don’t think it’s this Heather, at least not unless she’s changed her look a lot. Anyone out there know for sure? Meanwhile, here’s a link to her Idol video interview.

Hope Johnson

We met Hope at the end of the “Road to Hollywood” episode. She’s the 19-year-old waitress and bartender from Pollard, Ark., who says that her parents were so poor when she was growing up, she didn’t realize it wasn’t normal not to have dinner every night. She impressed the judges with a performance of Lee Ann Womack’s “I Hope You Dance.” Given her voice, it’s clear to see country music is her forte. She lists writing and drawing among her talents and says she caught the singing bug during her senior year of high school when some friends organized a talent show and she finished third. Link: Go here to watch Hope’s Idol audition.

Kellye Vetter

This Edmond, Okla., resident vividly recalls the first time she sang in public. Her four brothers were wrestlers, and she was attending a tournament they were in. “My Mom grabbed me by the hand. She said, ‘The soloist didn’t show up. Do you know the words to the national anthem.’ I’m this little 8-year-old. I’m like, ‘What’s the national anthem?’ So my mom’s in the corner of the gym, and she’s feeding me lines. And I’m looking over at her, and we’re going back and forth. I’m sure it was hideous. But it was really exciting.” She also made it to Hollywood in season eight, when she said her favorite genres were pop and jazz. Link: Go here to listen to two songs Kellye has posted on YouTube.

Kimberly Carver

This Texan’s audition was the centerpiece of the portion of the Dallas episode where Neil Patrick Harris and Simon Cowell were disagreeing on everything. This 26-year-old from Denton dared sing an original song — “Every Good Woman Needs to Find Herself a Real Good Man” — to win her way to Hollywood. In her Idol video, Kimberly says she sang with a band for five years and also traveled to Nepal where she worked in an orphanage for a month. For the record, Neil Patrick liked her audition; Simon didn’t. Link: Go here to hear Kimberly sing “At Last” in what appears to be an Idol-like competition.

Liette Kraper

Just a normal teenager is the way this Orlando resident describes herself. She was auditioning for Idol for the second straight year; last year she didn’t make it to Hollywood. She lists singing at her high school graduation as her most memorable performance and also dances and plays piano. As for her most memorable Idol moment: That was watching Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard on tour after they dueled it out back in season two. Link: Go here to watch Liette’s Idol video interview.

Maegan Wright

This 21-year-old from Richardson, Texas, is the gal from the divorced family who showed up on the Dallas audition episode with her 10-year-old brother. She says they’re extremely close, even though they’re 11 years apart in age.  As for music, Maegan says on her MySpace she started playing the piano at 4, singing soon after and has been writing songs since age 14. She classifies her music as pop, R&B and hip-hop. And she has performed in a cover band called “Signed, Sealed and Delivered.” Idol’s blue bar identified her as a cosmetologist. Link: You’ll find five of Maegan’s songs on her MySpace page. Go here. Make sure to check out “Love Is.”

Megan McCallon

She has not one, but two CDs to her credit — the 9-track “Missing Piece” released in 2006 and the 10-track “June Bug” released last August. On MySpace, she classifies her music as pop / folk / acoustic and explains how it helps her cope. “When I’m mad about something, I don’t scream about it. I sing about it. When I’m hurt by someone, I write about it. When I’m filled with inexpressible joy, I play it out.” She plays piano and guitar, which helps in the writing process, and laughingly tells Idol she auditioned because “I’ve pretty much exhausted the other ideas for my life.” Link: Go here to listen to several of her songs and watch a video for one. “June Bug” and “Cold Night” are especially good.

Paige Miles

This 23-year-old from Houston recalls making her stage debut at age 7. “At that moment, I knew I loved having the microphone in my hand. And I haven’t put it down since.” Paige is a 2004 graduate of the Community School of Naples (Fla.), a college prep day school, where the drama teacher still raves about her “big belty voice” in this story posted on naplesnews.com. A former cheerleader who describes herself as “bubbly,” Paige is now 23 and says the last thing an aunt told her before dying was: “Try out for American Idol.” Link: Go here to watch Paige’s Idol video interview.

Rachel Hubbard

Another 16-year-old who just couldn’t wait to audition for Idol, Rachel says she’s been wanting to do so for the last four years. She’s also been singing lead vocals for a teen band called Flipswitch. And she says she writes music “a little bit. That’s a talent in the making.” Rachel is adopted, has seven brothers and says her most memorable performance came when she sang in front of about 850 people, including Christian artist Mark Schultz, at her parents’ ministry fundraiser. Link: Go here to watch a video of Flipswitch performing in the Boerne-Champion High School (Texas) talent show.

Savannah Low

Another 16-year-old who auditioned because she’s finally able to. But Savannah assures us in her Idol video that she’s “not as naive as some might think just because I’m 16.” For one thing, her mother is a 13-year cancer survivor. Savannah says her most memorable performance came at a breast cancer awareness event. She also dances and acts and considers herself born to perform. “Performing is what I do,” she says. “It’s in my blood and my bones. It’s what I breathe.” Link: Here’s a video of Savannah singing a song from “Rent” in the 2009 Texas Thespian Festival.

Stephanie Crews

At 18, this Dallas resident said she tried out for Idol because she figured it would be a good experience and a great way to make a name for herself in the music industry. She’s been singing since her debut at age 5 in church. “That’s when I knew, my parents knew, everyone knew, ‘She’s born to be on stage.’” Stephanie says she has also done mission work around the world and continues to go back to Africa in that capacity. On MySpace, she lists her music as pop. Link: Go here to listen to Stephanie sing “In Your Lies.”

Stephanie Daulong

This 20-year-old demo singer from Austin says she used to suffer from “terrible, terrible stage fright.” Then a girlfriend played a trick on her, putting her name on the flyer for an upcoming gig as a featured vocalist. “I got to work and there were about 40 fliers (with her name on them). I couldn’t really turn back.” Now she doesn’t want to. In fact, she’s working on an album called “Sleeping with Wolves,” according to her MySpace. She classifies her music as southern rock / pop / soul and has a distinctive sound. All hasn’t been roses for Stephanie. She lost her mom to lung cancer about two years ago and recently discovered her father has throat cancer. Link: Go here to listen to six of Stephanie’s songs.

Sydnee Randle

On Twitter, this Midlothian, Texas, gal describes herself as a mass communications major at the University of North Texas, a “promoter for scene nightlife, socialite, fashionista and music lover! — all music!” I’d tell you more, but she’s protected her Tweets. Sydnee says she loves old music and considers herself an “old soul.” She’s also been dancing and training as a ballerina for three years, even though she says she’s flat-footed. Link: Go here to watch Sydnee’s Idol video interview.

From the Super Bowl to Sesame Street, with the grace only Carrie Underwood could muster.

Wonder what in the world I’m talking about?

Well, I just got the latest Carrie Underwood news. She’s going to appear on Sesame Street Feb. 11. Or at least a character created in her likeness (?) will be on the show.

The character is called Carrie Underworm — a red worm with big eyes and long blond hair.

This much is for sure. The voice belting out the worm anthem is all Carrie.

And such lyrics …

“I’m happy and I’m proud to be a worm

I can wiggle, I can squiggle, I can squirm.”

Of course, in true Sesame Street form, it’s quite catchy.

Go here for a video snippet of Carrie Underworm.

And if you missed Carrie’s national anthem performance at the Super Bowl, check out the photos here and the performance in the video below.

Carrie worried about forgetting the lyrics to the national anthem at today’s Super Bowl.

She need not have fretted. The performance came off flawlessly, of course.

And the Carrie Underwood news keeps coming at us, fast and furious.

For instance …

* Carrie has landed a role in her first studio movie, called “Soul Surfer.” It’s based on the life of champion surfer Bethany Hamilton, who continues to compete despite losing her arm in a shark attack at age 13. Carrie will play Sarah Hill, a church youth leader, and filming is set to take place this month. The film stars AnnaSophia Robb in the lead role with Helen Hunt and Dennis Quaid playing her parents. Of course, Carrie also recently filmed a guest starring role in the TV hit, “How I Met Your Mother.”

* Carrie will perform at the CMA Music Festival, set for June 10-13 in Nashville. She’s the first artist to sign on and shocked one of her biggest fans with the news. Riley Ahlstrand, a 15-year-old girl from Tennessee had written the CMA Music Fest, pretty much begging that they sign on American Idol’s season four champ for this year’s show. Carrie, in turn,decided to deliver the news of her appearance at the show to Riley herself. Check it out in this video.

* Of course, Carrie’s about a month away from the start of her “Play On” tour, which includes a March 11 show in Reading. You can find ticket info in the “Idols in the Area” section to the right of this blog.

* And, if you missed Carrie talking about who she’s rooting for in today’s game and why … or the social significance of “Pants On the Ground” … head here for a blog on her pre-Super Bowl press conference.

Now, for the rest of the Super Bowl photos …

Gals from Los Angeles
Guys from Denver
Gals from Denver

Andrew Garcia

He’s the 23-year-old from Moreno Valley, Calif., who had a featured role in the Los Angeles audition show — the guy who wants a better life for his young son after watching his parents struggle and hearing how they were involved with gangs in their earlier days. Remember? We met his parents, too, and his dad broke down crying over the prospects for a brighter future for his son. According to his MySpace, Andrew has performed at several benefit concerts in California and his music sounds like “my heart.” Head to YouTube and you can find several videos of Andrew singing. He got rave reviews from all four judges in his audition. Link: Go here for a Michael Jackson tribute video and here to watch his audition.

Chris Golightly

Here’s a hunch. This guy will make the Idol semifinals in season nine. I mean, he blew the judges away with his version of “Stand By Me.” And what a backstory. He’s an orphan and, before he took it down, called his MySpace page “official orphan music” where he included this in his bio: “When I was three years old I was placed in the system. Growing up without my parents by my side is what I had to accept. As a child it was very rough and I had to stand up on my own two feet. Every holiday was harsh because my parents and my family were never there. Every year was becoming more and more stressful, the older I got the angrier I became.” But his experience made him realize he had stories to tell, and he says he’s been writing music since age 12. He’s now 25, lives in L.A., and Idol’s blue bar identified him as a shoe salesman. Link: Go here to watch his Idol audition.

Derek Klena

Derek is a veteran of America’s Most Talented kids and more than 30 theatrical productions. But before you draw the conclusion that we have another Adam Lambert on our hands, consider this. He was also a sports star in high school and recalls a championship game at Dodger Stadium where he was asked to sing the national anthem, then took the mound as the starting pitcher for South Hills High School of West Covina, Calif. On Idol, he thinks his sound will set him apart. He sings more soft rock and soft alternative music, he says, as opposed to the more popular R&B and hip-hop. Oh, and his favorite Idol moment: Adam Lambert. Link: Go here YouTube videos of Derek showing off his singing ability, including that national anthem appearance.

Donald Webber Jr.

The guy from Los Angeles teaches at an all-girls high school and does a mean imitation of a valley girl. He’s also a 2008 graduate of the University of Southern California where he participated in an a cappella group, the SoCal VoCals. The group won an international a cappella competition while he was there, earning the right to perform at the Lincoln Center in New York in front of aobut 2,000 people. He also majored in theater in college, so add acting to his list of abilities. On his MySpace, he writes this: “I am a man of God. I like to have fun, but when it’s time to work…I WORK.” Link: Go here to watch Donald’s Idol video interview.

J.B. Ahfua

Like several of the ladies who earned golden tickets in L.A., J.B. is heading to Hollywood for a second straight year. In last year’s Hollywood video, he described his favorite types of music as R&B, pop and country, said he’s been singing since age 6 and admits to crying “his eyeballs out” after getting approval from the judges. J.B.’s from Salt Lake City, Utah, where he says he once competed against David Archuleta in a singing competition. And he’s a songwriter, though at present he’s mostly writing songs for other people. Link: Go here to watch a full-lenth performance of J.B. at an USANA (health products company) convention. There are several other videos of him performing on YouTube.

Jim Ranger

This Bakersfield, Calif., resident is the 27-year-old worship pastor who dared sing an original song — “Drive” — during his audition. And got away with it. Turns out Jim’s the lead singer for a band called Soulajar, and you can find “Drive” on a five-track EP the group released in 2006. Apparently, Soulajar is also working on a full-length album. On MySpace, Jim classifies his music as rock / pop / soul and, apparently, his knack for music comes naturally. “I grew up around it,” he says. “My mom and dad were both singers and songwriters.” Jim’s also married and has three young children. Link: Go here to CD Baby to hear snippets from that 2006 EP; go here to listen to several tunes on Jim’s MySpace page.

Jose Munoz

I can’t seem to find any Jose Munoz music online. Anyone know is there is any? If so, comment below. Meanwhile, Jose says he sings in both English and Spanish and would like to get the chance to try the latter on Idol. He plays guitar and thinks he could learn any instrument by ear. He recalls not wanting to sing in school back in seventh grade, but a teacher threatened to fail him if he didn’t. Now, naturally, he’d like to make a career of it. He thinks his tolerant, laid-back attitude will help him in the competition. “I just let things happen and cope with it,” he says. Link: Go here to watch Jose’s Idol video interview.

Justin Kalama

This Torrance, Calif., resident classifies his music as rock / alternative on MySpace, where he has four songs posted. He played with a rock band and recalls an early performance at the Whiskey A Go Go. “I was out-of-control nervous,” he says. “My mouth was so dry. Every other word, I was licking my lips. To this day, I get made fun of. People say, ‘Remember when …’ And then they lick their lips.” Apparently he got over it. There’s a huge ad on his MySpace for an April performance at a place called Awakenings Coffee House, where people paid $5 to watch him perform. Link: Go here to listen to those MySpace songs.

Samuel Larsen

Think Jason Castro with an edge. That’s Samuel Larsen, a dreadlocked 18-year-old from Murrieta, Calif. He says his music ranges from grunge rock to funk to soul. He performed with a band for three years and is now trying to make it as a solo artist and working on a debut EP. You can hear eight of his songs on MySpace, ranging from covers of “Baby It’s Cold Outside” to “Jammin’” (Bob Marley). He says he tried out for Idol because their are a lot of doors to making it in music and “this is the widest open door.” When folks suggested he audition, his reaction was “I never really wanted to do that. But if it’s what’s separating me from my dream, why not?” Link: Go here to listen to those MySpace tunes.

Guys from Los Angeles
Guys from Denver
Gals from Denver

Vered “Didi” Benami

Didi’s the 22-year-old from Hollywood who got so emotional during her audition and says she sings for a college roommate who died suddenly. Here’s the rest of the story. The roommate was Rebecca Joy Lear, a singer/songwriter from Wichita, Kansas, who helped Didi develop her musical ability. According to Didi’s MySpace, they decided to stick it out together in college, though their real desire was to perform and entertain. Rebecca died in a car accident in December 2005. Now Didi wants to spread Rebecca’s music as well as her own. On MySpace, Didi describes her music as soul/country/pop and she used to have six songs there, including a great vocal on a song called “Lullaby.” The songs are gone now, a possible indication that Didi did well in Hollywood. Link: Watch Didi’s Idol audition here.

Farayi Moore

The name is pronounced Fah-rah-yee. It comes from an African dialect and means “happiness and consolation,” according to this L.A. resident’s MySpace. “It’s been suggested that I change my name due to the difficulty in pronouncing it, but I’m not sold on the idea. Unless I create some alter-ego, I think I’m gonna stick with my roots,” she writes. Farayi has three daughters and said one reason she tried out for Idol is to show them a woman can be a mom and ”still do what you love.”  She classifies her music as Christian / acoustic / lyrical. Link: You can check out some of that music on Farayi’s MySpace here.

Frankie Jordan

This gal from Studio City, Calif., is back after making it to the judge’s mansion last year before being cut. She says she’s determined to make sure her personality shines through more in season nine. Frankie’s had a taste of success in the music business, releasing a pair of singles under Curb Records — “Once Again” in 2006 and “Hot Girl” in 2007. After getting the Idol boot last year, she formed a short-lived musical partnership with Daney Gokey’s friend Jamar Rogers. In her Idol video, she says she’s also a pretty good actress and would like to follow in Jennifer Hudson’s footsteps and appear “in big films.” Link: Go here to check out “Once Again” and another Frankie tune.

Kat Nestel

This singer-songwriter hails from Newport Beach, Calif., and lists among her top influences Pink and Alanis Morissette. Listen to her music, and you’ll understand. She describes it as acoustic with pop and rock influences. Kat plays piano and guitar and says she’s been playing bars and clubs in southern California for the last two years. “I’ve always known that I am here for one thing — singing and making music. I believe that my music reflects the fun, exciting, and sometimes challenging life of a 19 year old girl,” she writes in her MySpace bio. Link: Go here to listen to nine of Kat’s songs.

Kiera Masters

This 24-year-old from Salt Lake City is Hollywood bound for the second straight year. In her Idol Hollywood video last year, she listed country as her favorite genre of music, but said she likes all types. In season nine, she says she’s “determined to make the top 10, if not farther.” Kiera says her raspy voice could help set her apart and recalls getting not one, but two standing ovations when she sang a solo at her ninth-grade Christmas concert. A couple of other things you should know about Kiera — she’s good at driving with her knees, and, judging from her MySpace, she’s a huge Twilight fan. Link: Go here to watch Kiera’s Idol video interview.

Kristina Michell

Hmm, one of those name games we often encounter on Idol. Back in 2005, Kristina released a CD entitled “Just a Few Words,” which is still available through CD Baby. Only then, there was an ‘e’ on the end of her last name. She co-wrote the 10 tracks with producer Darren Bowls. At the time, she was 19 and her music was described as “a unique mixture of smooth R&B vocals and organic tracks, reminiscent of old soul music.” She has also performed at the Portland Blues Festival and calls one of those performances her most memorable. What will set her apart in season nine? “I understand the delivery of a song,” she says. “I think that’s something that’s lost in some of today’s music. Link: Go here to hear snippets of the 10 songs from that 2005 CD.

Mary Powers

This gal from Burbank, Calif., is being called the rocker chick on Idol. Hey, every season needs one. And she did nothing to dispel that perception with her rocker look or her rendition of Pat Benetar’s “Love Is a Battlefield” in the L.A. auditions. But she insists she’s more versatile than that. “When country week comes around, I can nail that. When ’70s week comes around, I can nail that, too. Because music is music and singing is singing.” Her daughter is a big fan of Simon Cowell. Link: Go here to watch Mary’s audition.

Melissa Bitanga

This teen from San Diego warns people not to underestimate her. “I might be a tiny girl,” she says. “And I’m really shy and stuff. But I’m a fighter and, when it comes to things I want, I will get it.” Well, we’ll see how that works out in Hollywood starting Tuesday. Melissa describes her music as pop and R&B and that’s accurate based on the four tunes you’ll find on her MySpace page. She says a cousin tricked her into auditioning for Idol, promising to try out for “So You Think You Can Dance” in return. The cousin reneged. “I’m still a little mad about that,” Melissa says. Link: Head here to hear those four MySpace tunes.

Olivia Geller

Back in 2007, when she was performing in the Future American Music Stars Showcase in L.A., this gal from Beaverton, Oregon, described her music as “organic R&B,” but said she likes all styles of music. Head to her MySpace and you’ll find four songs, including a cover of “Because I Love You” and an a cappella version of “Let It Be.” Her biggest influence and her idol — Mariah Carey. She even has a photo from when she met Mariah on her personal MySpace. In her Idol video, she recalls performing before her biggest audience ever at the Arlington Concert Hall in Portland, at age 12, in a tutu. No matter. “I think that was the turning point for me in deciding what I wanted to do with my life,” she says. Link:  Go here for those MySpace songs; she also has several on YouTube.

Rose Flack

This gal from Post Falls, Idaho, was featured during the audition episodes in season eight, when she was living with her best friends’ family after losing her dad at age 13 and her mother following a car crash at age 15. She was featured in the Hollywood group performance episode as well, as part of Team Diva with Katrina Darrell and eventual finalist Jasmine Murray. Despite all that, Simon didn’t remember her when she auditioned this year in Los Angeles. Not a good sign. Rose kept on singing after Idol last year, performing with something called r5 Productions, which puts on motivational assemblies for high school students. Link: Go here for Rose’s season eight audition.

Samantha Musa

This 22-year-old California gal has an interesting goal. On her MySpace page, she poses this question: “Is it weird that I would love to sound like John Legend and Celine Dion’s love child? Cause that is my goal.” Samantha earned her second golden ticket to Hollywood this year. She also made it in season seven, when she and her just-slightly-more-Simon-obsessed sister has starring roles in a San Diego audition episode. Since then, she’s decided that singing is truly what she wants to do with her life. “So we will see where this newfound inspiration takes me,” she writes. Link: Go here to see Samantha’s season seven audition and here to hear the one song posted on her MySpace.

Tasha Layton

OK, Idol might be breaking new ground here with Tasha, a 26-year-old female minister who raps. According to a story in her hometown newspaper, she attended Converse College as an art major, switched to religion, moved to California and began a worship pastor at a church there. And when Idol asked what people would be surprised to learn about her, Tasha said she once sang the hook for a rap song and even performed it at a club, admitting people might find that “out of character for a minister. But I don’t think they go against each other.” She sang “Baby, Baby, Baby” for her audition and, no doubt, she can sing. Link: Go here to see her audition.

Gals from Los Angeles
Guys from Los Angeles
Gals from Denver

Blake Marvin

This guy from Lone Tree, Colo., heads his own country-pop-rock band and released a seven-track CD, “Keep Movin’ On, back in 2007. He said he’d been thinking about auditioning for Idol for six or seven years and finally did it in season nine because was prodded by “everybody I know.” His most memorable performance was opening for Lonestar with his band at a gig in Nebraska. Oh, and he’s sort of a MacGyver type. He says he’s gifted at working with anything that has a power source and built his own 5-foot-4 android robot named Carl. Link: Go here to hear the songs on that 2007 CD on the Blake Marvin Band Web site.

Casey James

This 27-year-old from the Fort Worth, Texas, area is the guy that took down his hair, then peeled off his shirt at the request of Kara DioGuardi, who seemed more interested in his look than his sound. But he’s apparently been playing music for a good while. According to his Facebook page, he has fronted a number of bands in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and is working on forming his own band with his brother. Why did he audition for Idol. Well, his mother pushed him to do it. Besides, why not? “She kind of pointed out the fact that it’s a freebie chance, kind of like playing the lottery, but without even having to pay. Link: Go here to see Casey’s Idol audition.

Colten Pierce

I can’t find any of Colten Pierce’s music on the Web. So if anyone knows where I can, please comment below. But this 17-year-old from Lexington, N.C., has apparently been performing for a good while. He says his parents were skilled singers and he practiced karaoke around the house. His first public performance was in church at age 6, when he sang “I Surrender.” He plays guitar and keyboards and has also played several sports. “I have more ambition that you’ll find in a 17-year-old,” he told Idol, during his video interview. Link: Go here to watch that interview.

Danny Jones

Another teen, Danny hails from Billings, Montana, and said his sister convinced him to take a family trip to Denver to try out for Idol. He says he writes music , plays guitar and that his voice “is a little more jazzy than people would expect.” On his MySpace site, Danny says, “ I used to care way to much about my image, but i learned that it honestly should not matter. People should love you for who you really are.” As for special talents, he beatboxes (seems to be a lot of beatboxers among golden ticket recipients this year) and he’s “really good” at frisbie. Link: Go here to see Danny’s video interview for Idol.

Harrell Holmes Jr.

This guy from Saginaw, Mich., is apparently a veteran of “Star Search,” so he has experience in Idol-like competitions. His MySpace page classifies his music as R&B/pop/hip-hop and you’ll find two songs there. In his Idol interview, he says his grandmother passed away recently, and she always wanted to see him on American Idol, so that inspired him to audition. He’s only 17, but says he’s old school and loves Motown music, but can also “dance like Chris Brown.”  Sounds like an impressive combination, but I’m a little worried about his lack of musical taste. He cites Nick Mitchell (Normund Gentle) as his favorite moment on Idol. Link: Go here to hear those aforementioned songs.

Jareb Liewer

He now lives in San Diego, Calif., but says he’s a small-town Nebraska guy. And, in addition to singing and playing guitar, he’s a talented gymnast and acrobat. Or so he says in his Idol video. His motivation for auditioning in season nine? Simple. He wants to help out family and friends “with all the money I ever need.” His thinks his patience and ability to see things from both sides will serve him well on the show. He also learned from watching Adam Lambert sing “Ring of Fire” during country week last year. “When given a genre like country, he still made it his,” Jareb says. Link: Go here to hear two of Jareb’s songs on his MySpace page.

Jeffrey Goldford

At 28, this Chicago, Ill., resident says time is running out for him to “make something happen” in the music business. It isn’t as though he hasn’t tried, or hasn’t enjoyed some successes. He used to front a band called Everyday People, which released a six-track EP called “Complicated” and classified as funk rock in 2005 (available from CD Baby) and a 12-track album called “Catch Me” in 2007 (available through Rhapsody). According to his MySpace profile, he was working on writing and recording a solo CD. Then the Idol audition came along. On MySpace, he classifies his music as soul. Link: Go here for seven of Jeffrey’s songs, including the impressive “Body’s Best Friend.”

Jimmy Charles

This aspiring country singer was born and raised in Berlin, Md., but has since moved to Nashville. In his MySpace bio, he says he’s been singing since age 7, when his mother used to take him to nursing homes to sing for the elderly. He also says he’s written more than 70 songs and points to one — “Whatever It Takes” — as indicative of his attitude. “Whatever it takes has been my motto through the time of struggle every artist goes through! I will never give up or stop pushing,” he writes. His repertoire also includes “When the Hero Dies” since every country artist apparently must have his or her own patriotic anthem. Link: Go here to listen to those two songs and several others.

Mark Lariola II

This 28-year-old looks more like a computer consultant Idol’s blue bar identified him as than a singer. He also looks a lot like Jack Black and has a sense of humor. “I don’t have a problem being compared with the ugliest guy in Hollywood because he’s funny. And I’m sure he gets girls. So I deal with it.” Up until May 2008, Mark sang vocals and played guitar for a Christian / rock / alternative band called Foolish Things; in fact, he was apparently with the band for 10 years. He also has a son whom we met on Idol. Link: Go here to listen to four songs by Foolish Things and here for his Idol audition.

Sham Al-Islam

Sham, who lives in Las Vegas, performs as B. Soul and classifies his music as R&B / soul / hip-hop on MySpace, where his bio says “his presence in the music industry would add a refreshing new sound with clever, yet profound lyrical content, soulful melodies, real -singing and real-songwriting. His music is grown up enough for adults, but fun enough for younger audiences.” This is his second go-round on Idol; he was also a contestant in season four. At age 28, he has an 11-year-old son. He says the fact that he’s been doing music for a living and is on stage all the time should give him an edge in the competition. Link: Go here to hear his songs as B. Soul.

Gals from Los Angeles
Guys from Denver
Guys from Los Angeles

Alex Nester

This Simi Valley, Calif., resident is a singer, songwriter and cancer surviver. She was diagnosed with cancer back in 2000, at age 16, shortly after winning outstanding female vocalist honors at the Los Angeles Music Award. After chemotherapy and a year-long battle with the disease, she was declared cancer free. “That gives you a whole new perspective on life,” she says in her Idol video. “It makes you a better writer. It makes you a better musician. It makes you a better person.” She describes her music as soul / R&B / Christian and released a 15-track CD, “Rattle the Walls,” in January 2009. Link: Go here to listen to nine tracks from the album, all co-written by Alex.

Haeley Vaughn

The Fort Collins, Colorado, teen got rave reviews from the judges in Denver for what I thought was an overrated version of Carrie Underwood’s “Last Name.” She says the fact that she’s a black female singer who wants to sing country/pop, not just R&B and soul music, should set her apart. She was born prematurely, weighing 2 pounds at birth; then lost her father at age 10. He was a singer, and she says she thinks she got some of her voice from him. Link: Go here to watch Haeley’s Idol audition.

Jessica Furney

She was born in Wamego, Kansas, home of the Wizard of Oz Museum, and she’s a golden ticket recipient for a second straight year. On her Web site, the 21-year-old says she combines a “love of old rock and blues with her knowledge of jazz and country to create a unique and diverse sound and style that is all her own.” She writes music, too, and says she wants to be an all-around artist, not just a pretty face who can sing. “I think that’s a little overdone,” she says. Link: Go here to hear five of her songs, including a cover of “Bobby McGee.”

Kelly Bachran

This gal from Salem, Oregon, says she tried out for Idol because she “was finally at a place in her life where she could pick up and leave everything” to devote herself to the competition. Besides, her best friend agreed to tag along. She calls herself the wedding singer because she sings at so many. “I think it’s really cool to be part of, potentially, the biggest day of someone’s life.” She had also been a member of at least two bands, playing keyboards and singing backup vocals for a Christian rock band called Communion and performing with a cover band, Big Night Out. Link: Kelly sings, “That’s It, I Quit,” in this YouTube video.

Kim Kerbow

We met this 24-year-old college student during the Denver audition episode, when her 5-year-old daughter proudly proclaimed that her mom is the “next American Idol” and when Kim changed the lyrics of “The Way I Am,” offering to buy Simon some Rogaine … when he starts losing his hair. Simon proclaimed her “trouble,” but voted to send her to Hollywood anyway, proving flirting has its benefits. In truth, Kim says she’s a nerd who loves books. She’s also a past winner of the Southern Colorado Idol competition. Link: Go here to watch Kim’s Idol audition.

Lilly Scott

This Denver gal says people take one look at her and think she’s a punk rocker. She says she’s not, preferring more indie, folk rock and classic rock. She’s the former lead singer for a Colorado-based group called Varlet that played just that type of music. The band released an EP called “I Win” at some point, according to its MySpace page. At age 5, Lilly says she sang the national anthem in front of thousands of people at Mlle High Stadium. “I’ve been performing ever since.” Link: Go here to hear Lilly singing a number of songs with Varlet.

Maddie Penrose

This girl from Murray, Utah, is an interesting case. In her Idol video, she says she looks like a good girl, but hangs out with “gangsta” kids and does “weird stuff.” In the next breath, she says she’s friends with David Archuleta, who I’m pretty sure is about as un-gangsta as you can get. As for music, Maddie plays the drums, piano, guitar and likes to beatbox. As for her singing, I can’t find any samples, but she says she has a unique sound. Link: Go here for Maddie’s Idol interview.

Margo May

This 23-year-old from Kansas City says she started writing music at age 11 because she was inspired by the Beach Boys’ harmonies and wanted to write some of her own. She’s been working on an album that would be released under the name Margo May and the Honeybabes and classifies her music as indie, folk and soul. She has an interesting sound, especially on “Wake” and “Blue Shoes,” two songs earmarked for that aforementioned album. They definitely have a quaint sort of appeal. She’s also a golden ticket recipient for a second straight year. Link: Go here to listen to five of Margo’s songs.

Moorea Masa

Another familiar face in Hollywood, this Portland, Oregon, resident teamed up with Danny Gokey, Jamar Rogers and Taylor Vaifanua in the group round last year and thinks that experience will pay dividends in season nine. She classifies her music as alternative / soul / pop and has several songs posted on her MySpace. She says she has a stage mom and recalls smiling the first time she was “put” on stage, then crying as soon as she left it. She’s clearly come a long way since then. Link:  Head to Moorea’s MySpace; the best song there is a duet with an unnamed guy on a song called “Closer.”

Nicci Nix

Don’t let that helium voice fool you, Nicci Nix isn’t fooling around. The 23-year-old California gal appeared on MTV’s “Making the Band” with P. Diddy, has appeared on several other MTV shows and on NBC’s “Fear Factor.” She released a single in 2007 called “Sexcessful Virgin” and an EP last March called Nix Mix. Her MySpace promises music that “is fun, spunky, and free-spirited with both electronic dance grooves and rock beats.” In her Idol video, Nicci says she doesn’t drink, do drugs and, at least at that time, didn’t have a boyfriend. Link: Head here to listen to several songs off that EP, which is available on iTunes.

Tamra Salmon

From the sounds of her Idol video, this Albuquerque, N.M., gal tried out for the show in a past season and failed to make Hollywood. And, judging from a Calvary of Albuquerque church Web site I found, it sounds as though Tamra had a part in recording a 2006 Christmas CD with an outfit called Albuquerque Musicians for Christ. Tamra says she’s the oldest of 17 grandchildren, that her most memorable performance was singing the national anthem at her high school and that she’s learning to play the guitar. In her MySpace bio, she says music: “is a way to hear from God. Writing a song cleanses me and makes me fresh, ready to face the world. … I’m supposed to be a singer.” Link: Go here for Tamra’s Idol video interview.

Tawny McCorkle

Love that name, right? This 2001 graduate of Burbank, Calif., is another attractive blonde hoping to follow in the footsteps of Carrie Underwood or Kellie Pickler to a career singing country music. In fact, she says watching Kellie in season five was her most memorable Idol moment. Tawny says she’s been following the show for all eight seasons while doing her own thing with singing. “But it hasn’t taken off, so I wanted to try season nine.” She placed second in a solo singing competition in St. Louis as a sophomore in high school. Link: Go here to hear two songs by Tawny.

Tayler Bledsoe

She is a former student of the Wildflower School of Voice in Boulder, Colo., and has performed at the Nomad Theatre there. In addition to singing, she says she enjoys film scoring, composition and plays the piano and guitar. Back as a youth, she says her mom didn’t know she was taking singing lessons … until she took the stage to sing at her fifth-grade graduation. I don’t have an age on Tayler, but she must be among the younger contestants. She says watching Jordin Sparks win season six was her favorite Idol moment. “Seeing a minor win something so big, it really brought hope to all of us. Link: Go here for Tayler’s Idol video interview.

Tori Kelly

This gal has been groomed for the Idol stage. She sang with David Archuleta on “Star Search” when she was 10. She sang with Jordin Sparks on “America’s Most Talented Kids” when she was 11. She tried out for Idol the first year she was eligible, meaning she’s 16 or 17 now. Most impressively, there are 10 songs on her MySpace page, and Tori says they “are written, produced and recorded 100 percent by me.” On MySpace, she classifies her music as pop/R&B and soul, but she says she’s versatile enough to sing all genres. Link: Go here to listen to those 10 songs. Check out “Tongue Tied” and “You Caught Me.”

I don’t want to see one, let alone eat one.

After all, I’ve just watched videos done by about 180 Hollywood-bound American Idol contestants. Dozens and dozens and dozens of which were preceded by a wheat thin commercial.

But I learned lots about those golden ticket recipients. And I’ll be telling you a little about each and every one of them between now and Tuesday evening, when the Idol Hollywood episodes — actually filmed weeks ago — begin.

Let’s start with the fun stuff. In their videos, each Idol contestant is asked if he or she has a special talent.

Wow. Do they ever.

Lots of these Idol hopefuls can do tongue tricks. And demonstrate.

Lots are double-jointed. And demonstrate.

Many think they’re good at impersonations. And demonstrate.

Idol found some sports stars, too. In addition to being a pretty darn good singer-songwriter, Jaclyn North of Dallas swears she can whip a softball from home to second base, from her knees, in under 2 seconds.

Michael Lynche of St. Petersburg, Fla., says he hasn’t lost an arm wrestling match since age 9. If you saw the guy in Wednesday’s “The Road to Hollywood” episode, you won’t be surprised.

Jason Shorter of Randolph, Mass., loves to draw. One day, he plans to design his own home. He says he keeps drawing it “bigger and bigger.” Pretty soon, we’ll find out if Idol stardom will help pay for those big dreams.

Chelsea Chandler of Memphis, Tenn., has tried her hand at dancing, figure skating and showing horses and says she has “an impeccable skill at injuring myself.” No wonder she’s trying singing.

Justin Ray of Miraville, Ind., downright worries me. He says he created a character — Margaret Von — “a 70-year-old smoker woman” and portrays her. He says it’s hilarious. I’m suffering from Nick Mitchell (aka Normund Gentle) flashbacks.

Kimberly Carver of Denton, Texas, worries me, too. Her special talent: A loud, obnoxious laugh. Now I’m having Tatiana Nicole Del Toro flashbacks.

Christian Spear of Houston appeared at the same Dallas auditions and says she has a birthmark in her hair. Is that even possible?

And about those distracted driving laws … pass them, lawmakers. As quickly as possible.

Brandi Holmes of Houston, Texas; Kelsey Madsen of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and Kiera Masters of Salt Lake City, Utah, all bragged about their ability to drive with their knees.

Kiera says she can do it while “talking on the phone and eating … even taking corners. Don’t try it at home.”

Or at least don’t try it without having Vanessa Wolfe, of Venamore, Tenn., along as a passenger.

Remember Vanessa from the Atlanta auditions? She’s the gal who fears she’ll be forever stuck in little ol’ Venamore, Tenn.

Vanessa says her special talent is talking her way out of police tickets.

For strange talents, I’m not sure anyone beats Keanna O’Quinn of Harlem, N.Y.. She says she used to be able to breathe out of her eyeball. “But I stopped practicing, so it doesn’t work anymore.”

Oh, well.

Here are links to videos of American Idol contestants displaying their special talents. Be patient. That comes near the end of each video.

And if you wind up watching a wheat thins commercial … well, I apologize in advance.

Amanda Shectman of Roslyn, N.Y., displays an incredible knack for talking with her mouth shut.

Lauren Daigle of Lafayette, Louisiana, demonstrates her alter ego, Beverly Big Lips.

Seth Rollins of Lakeland, Fla., demonstrates a rather bizarre ear trick.

Carrie hemmed.

Carrie hawed.

She was facing the toughest question of the day.

And it had nothing to do with a Cowboy quarterback named Tony Romo.

She got this apologetic look on her face, then finally confessed her allegiance.

“I hope people won’t hate me. I hate picking sides. But I’ll probably, 51 percent, be rooting for the Saints.”

After all, Saint coach Sean Payton attended one of her concerts.

“That’s where the 1 percent comes from,” Carrie said.

If you’ve been asleep for the past week, Carrie Underwood — the season four winner of American Idol, the proud owner of five Grammy awards — will sing the national anthem before Sunday’s Super Bowl.

This is huge, folks. So huge, it apparently merited a press conference Thursday where Carrie shared the stage with Queen Latifah, who will sing “America the Beautiful” at Sunday’s game.

Queen Latifah was the sly one, letting Carrie field most of the questions.

We learned that even veteran performers worry about forgetting the words to the national anthem.

“Of course, you’ve sang these songs a million times … Of course you know the words,” Carrie said. “But if you’re going to mess up, that’s the one time you’d do it, right?”

And we learned that youth all over American should listen to the now famous lyrics to “Pants On the Ground,” written by Larry Platt and made famous by American Idol during this year’s audition episodes.

“That’s music with a message. As a songwriter, I know we all aspire to write something that’s catchy and has a message. I think the youth of America can learn a lot from ‘Pants on the Ground.’

“And they can pull their pants up. Because it causes all kinds of back problems and things like that,” Carrie deadpanned. “I’ve seen the studies.”

Carrie’s about to head out on tour to support her new album, “Play On,” and talked about that a little bit, too. The tour kicks off March 11 in nearby Reading. (You’ll find a link to ticket info in the Idols in the Area section to the right of this blog.)

She also said plans are under way for a fall leg of the tour.

Listening up, York Fair folks?

Said Queen Latifah of Carrie: “She’s my hero. No one can change that many outfits, look that fly and sing that good. Carrie is America. Get into it kids. Catch her on tour.”

Want to see video of the press conference? If so, go here.

I mean, she recently got engaged. She just won another Grammy. Her new album debuted at number one. She’ll have the honors of singing the national anthem for Sunday’s Super Bowl.

And her latest single, “Temporary Home,” cracked the top 10 on Billboard’s country singles chart this week. And it’s only been on the charts for four weeks.

Speaking of “Temporary Home,” the tearjerker of a video for a song was just released. Go here to check it out.

Kris Allen: It took a good while, but “Live Like We’re Dying” is moving up the charts. This week it hits a new peak of 23, up three spots, on the Hot 100. It’s also number eight among adult pop songs and number 19 on Billboard’s all-around pop song chart. Kris’ album, however, tumbles from 101 to 122 on the Billboard 200.

Kelly Clarkson: “Already Gone” refuses to go away. This week, the single changes course and moves from 33 to 30 on the Hot 100. It’s now up to number seven on the adult contemporary singles chart. Kelly’s “All I Ever Wanted” album drops out of the Billboard 200 for the first time since its release nearly a year ago.

Daughtry: “Life After You” is another Idol-related single that showed some resiliency on the charts ths week. Down nine spots a week ago, it moves up six spots to number 51 on the Hot 100. Daughtry’s second album is number 66 on the Billboard 200, down from 54, 29 weeks after its release. Daughtry’s debut album is number 181 on the same chart.

Jennifer Hudson: Hey, lots of folks must have liked Jennifer Hudson’s rendition of “Let It Be” on the Hope for Haiti Now telethon. Enough downloaded it to make the song number 98 on this week’s Hot 100.

Adam Lambert: The Oprah effect lasted precisely one week in terms of album sales for Adam. His post-Oprah week saw “For Your Entertainment” rocket up the Billboard 200, from 35 to 21. This week … well, it’s back down to number 36. But “Whataya Want From Me,” the album’s second single, moved up a notch, from 37 to 35, on the Hot 100. And the first single from the album, the title track, just cracked the top 25 on Billboard’s dance club chart.

Kellie Pickler: The season five contestant’s latest single, “Didn’t You Know How Much I Loved You,” hit a new peak of 18 on the county singles chart this week. That’s up one spot. Her self-titled CD is number 32 on the country album chart, down two spots.

Ruben Studdard: The season two champs latest single, “Don’t Make ‘Em Like U No More,” drops five spots, from 35 to 40, on the Billboard R&B chart.

Carrie Underwood: In addition to cracking the top 10 on the country singles chart, “Temporary Home” moves up from 83 to 70 on the Hot 100. “Cowboy Casanova” is still hanging around on the same chart, at number 61, down from 55. Carrie’s album is number 29 (down from 24) on the Billboard 200 and number five (down from three) on the country album chart. That’s 13 weeks after its release.