So who made it into the "American Idol" Season 11 Top 24? Quite a few of the contestants the show has followed throughout the auditions made it (no surprise) to the round where the viewing audience will start pairing the finalists down. A few the viewing audience is unfamiliar with also made it through to the semi-finals. But the judges finally got there (while "American Idol" is seeing its ratings get hammered)... well, sort of.
"American Idol" spent three hours of edited material this week to tell the world that judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler couldn't decide on just 24 contestants to make it to the next round of finalists. After naming the Top 24, it was announced that the judges felt a bit like Simon Cowell after he cut Melanie Amaro on the inaugural season of "X Factor." (For those not in the know, Amaro went on to win "X Factor," its $5 million first-place purse, and the starring role with Elton John in the Super Bowl Pepsi commercial.)
That's right. The "American Idol" judges felt that they had cut someone they shouldn't have.
So as to leave the viewing audience with a cliffhanger and perhaps build anticipation for next week's round of three shows, "Idol" presented four guys that might be the mystery "mistake." Those guys were: Jermaine Jones, Johnny Keyser, Richie Law or David Leathers.
So there will be 13 guys participating for America's votes in the semi-finals. Only 12 girls. Why? Surely there was at least one female that the judges feel they shouldn't have cut.
Or is this a Fox balancing act for the Amaro callback?
But which of the four guys is most likely to make it to the semi-finals? Given the track record at "American Idol" for judges saves, it would be difficult to tell, although the least likely to get the callback is Richie Law, who was obnoxiously domineering and abrasive throughout Hollywood Week and the Las Vegas auditions, not to mention his wooden performance of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" while singing for his life in Vegas.
Still, the stage is set (almost) and singing for votes begins on Tuesday, Feb. 28, whent the guys sing. The girls follow on Wednesday evening. The results, if things go as planned, will seen the elimination of another 15 contestants, producing a Top 10. Then six finalists will be chosen to as Wild Cards and each judge will choose a finalist to advance, leaving America with the Top 13 to continue.
"American Idol" Top 24
THE GUYS
Creighton Fraker
Joshua Ledet
Reed Grimm
Heejun Han
Phil Phillips Jr.
Colton Dixon
Adam Brock
Aaron Marcellus
Eben Franckewitz
Chase Likens
Jeremy Rosado
Deandre Brackensick
THE GIRLS
Jen Hirsh
Haley Johnson
Elise Testone
Erika Van Pelt
Chelsea Sorrell
Baylie Brown
Jessica Sanchez
Brielle Von Hugel
Hallie Day
Shannon Magrane
Hollie Cavanagh
Skylar Laine
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