Thousands Vie to Be Next ‘American Idol’ at Season 6 Tryouts in California
PASADENA, Calif. — Thousands of “American Idol” hopefuls showed up at the Rose Bowl on Tuesday with wide-eyed dreams of becoming the next Taylor Hicks or Carrie Underwood.
After waiting all night and standing in line for hours, most contestants got less than a minute to sing a few bars — and then the boot.
Michael Taylor, 21, of El Monte, who works at a customer call service center, was among those quickly dismissed from the tryouts. Fox publicity representatives were more sensitive, saying he “was not moving forward.”
“This is just a stepping stone for me and I’m looking past it,” said Taylor, who asked an observer if he could sing a few notes to demonstrate his talent. He had a nice soulful style — but obviously not nice enough.
Upcoming auditions for singers: Alamodome, San Antonio, Friday; Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, N.J., Aug. 14; Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex, Birmingham, Ala., Aug. 21; FedExForum, Memphis, Tenn., Sept. 3; Target Center, Minneapolis, Sept. 8; Key Arena, Seattle, Sept. 19.
