American Idol 8 Top 36: Meet Group 1 Singers
Profiles on the First 12 Performers to Sing for America's Votes
Feb 16, 2009
American Idol 8 debuted on January 13, 2009. After three weeks of auditions and two weeks of the Hollywood round, the 36 semi-finalists have been named. The first batch of 12 semi-finalists will perform on Tuesday, February 17. After their performances, viewers will vote on three contestants to go on to the top 12. On Wednesday, February 18, the top male vote-getter, the top female vote-getter, and the next highest vote-getter, either male or female, will move on and join the group of 12 finalists. FOX named the first group who will be performing for America's votes this week.
Top 36 - Group 1
Anne Marie Boskovich: Anne Marie hails from Nashville, Tennessee. The 23 year old auditioned in Jacksonville, Florida. She has previous experience in the entertainment industry, having recorded a song for The Little Mermaid 2 soundtrack. A video for one of her original songs can be found on You Tube.
Ricky Braddy: Ricky is from Nashville, Tennessee. The 26 year old auditioned in Louisville but he was not seen performing until the Hollywood round. He has a MySpace although all music has been removed while he's competing on the show.
Casey Carlson: Casey looks like Mila Kunis' doppelganger. She's 20 years old and from Minneapolis. She auditioned in Kansas City and garnered more attention for her looks than her voice when bikini pictures surfaced on the internet.
Tatiana Del Toro: Tatiana has already become a polarizing figure amongst fans this season. The 23 year old's flamboyant personality is either loved or hated. She's originally from Puerto Rico and auditioned in San Francisco.
Anoop Desai: 21 year old Anoop is a graduate student from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He auditioned in Kansas City and quickly charmed the judges and viewers. He has previously performed in the a capella group The Clefhangers. His performances with the group can be found on You Tube.
Stephen Fowler: 25 year old Stephen is from Ohio and auditioned in New York City, although his first appearance on the show was in the Hollywood round.
Danny Gokey: Danny is 28 years old and comes from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He auditioned in Kansas City and won the sympathies of America when he revealed that his wife died of a heart condition four weeks before his audition. Danny has a MySpace, although his music has been removed while he's in the competition.
Alexis Grace: Alexis is a 20 year old single mother. She's originally from Memphis and auditioned in Louisville, Kentucky. Her bleached blonde hair with pink tips and raw but strong voice help her stand out.
Brent Keith: Brent has been building a country music career for a long time, most notably competing in season two of Nashville Star. The 28 year old Ohio native auditioned in Louisville, where he won over Randy, Paula and Kara but not Simon. Some of his performances can be seen on CMT's website.
Michael Sarver: Michael is 28 years old and originally from Texas. He auditioned in Phoenix where he told the judges he works as a roughneck on an oil rig.
Jackie Tohn: Jackie has an extensive background in stage and screen acting, having appeared in shows such as Veronica Mars and The Sopranos. She's 27 years old from Silver Lake, California and she auditioned in New York City. Videos from her acoustic shows and other performances can be found on You Tube.
Stevie Wright: Stevie is a 16 year old California native. She auditioned in Phoenix and impressed the judges with her mature but not old-sounding voice and poise.
Predictions
Based on the amount of screentime and positive internet buzz, it appears that Anoop Desai, Danny Gokey, Anne Marie Boskovich and Jackie Tohn have excellent chances at moving on to the top 12. However, any of them could stumble in their performance on Tuesday night. Additionally, it's important to not discount the dark horse factor. Bo Bice, Jason Castro, and most notably season one winner Kelly Clarkson are among those who made it far despite not being heavily featured in the early stages of the competition.
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