IDOL PICKS TOP 50 - HOLLYWOOD WEEK

The first cuts of "American Idol" Season 7, Hollywood week, aired last night and the pressure was on. Out of the thousands that auditions throughout the US only 165 made it to Hollywood. Ryan Seacrest said that Hollywood week would be a bit different this year because the talent was so very strong. At the beginning of the show, I started to wonder where he got that idea, but during the last 45 minutes of the two hour special, these multi-talented singers gave me chills.

The "change" Ryan Seacrest talked about was this....All 165 contestants perform individually and were allowed, for the first time in "American Idol", to play an instrument while they sang ,if they chose to. Paula, Randy, and Simon either gave them a free pass to round 2 or gave them the infamous "NO". But the difference is that "NO" contestants got a second chance to prove themselves. The judges the picked through the "NO" contestants by lining them up in groups and giving them one more chance to prove themselvs once again. Some go on to round 2 and others were sent packing. Everyone left, at this point is on to round #2. Round two auditioners competed for a spot in the top 50.

Brooke White (photo) was one of the first to get the "free pass" to round two. Singing "Beautiful" while playing keyboard, she left the judges in Awe. She seemed very nervous to me, but it did not show in her voice or performance. Brooke auditioned in Philadelphia where she told the judges "I don't watch rated "R" movies", Uh....o.k. I have found some beautiful pick of Brooke, like the one here from MySpace, but so far on the show, this beauty has not transformed. The Rock-n-Roll nurse, Amanda Overmeyer of Mullbery, Indiana, also skated through to round 2 with "Lite My Fire" by the Doors. Two of my favorite David's were also loved by the judges. David Hernandeez (photo), 24, sang "Love the One Your With" and Randy said "For the first time today I loved it from note one" and David Archuleta, blazed with talent at only 17 years old. The free pass got them through to round 2, but not yet in the top 50.

Among those cut from Season 7 were (there were many more cuts than these):Suzanne Tool, Perry Cataldo, Amy Flynn, Angela Martin and Jeffrey Lampkin. All my favorites in the above paragraph made it to the top fifty along with others including: Josiah Leming, Kyle Ensley, David Cook, Syesha Mercado, Michael Johns, Carly Smithson, Asia'H Epperson and Cristy Lee Cook.

116 were cut of the 164 originally given a golden ticket. On tonights show, Simon, Randy and Paula have the tough decision of picking the top 24, that will be on the actual show, from the contestants that are left. If sexy Simon had his way they would be narrowing it down to the top 5 because he would cut everybody else. Thus, this will be the only time I am glad to live far, far away from Hollywood. I have confidence that Paula Abdul will not back down from Simon. Good Luck Top 50 and I hope my favorites make it on the show.