Last night in a dramatic results show, it was announced that Fantasia Barrino from Highpoint, NC and Diana DeGarmo from Snellville, GA were chosen by America to become the first two contestants to make the Top 12 on American Idol.
|
ADVERTISEMENT
|
The second set of eight semifinalists will perform next Tuesday, February 17 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. At the end of the episode, the phone lines will open and America can vote for their favorite contestant(s) via toll-free telephone lines until 11:00 PM ET/PT (10:00 PM CT/MT), subject to time zone restrictions. American Idol viewers who subscribe to AT&T Wireless may also use text messaging to vote by sending the word "vote" to the four-digit short numbers (5701, 5702 etc.) for the Idols of their choice each week.
Each week, viewers will call or text one of the designated numbers -- each one corresponding to one of the performers -- to cast their vote. On Wednesday, the second group of eight contestants will take the stage to find out their fates. The two top vote-getters will advance to the finals and join Fantasia Barrino and Diana DeGarmo, leaving the other six to go home. The results will be revealed during the weekly live broadcast beginning Wednesday, February 18 (8:30-9:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed).
Another set of eight American Idol semifinalists will compete during each of the next two Tuesday episodes (February 24, March 2) and voters will decide which two contestants will advance each week to be among the Top 12 finalists. The live results shows follow each Wednesday night (February 25, March 3).
The eight semifinalists who will perform next week are:
• Lisa Leuschner appeared on the audition episodes for the second season of American Idol, but this year her voice has carried her farther than before. Lisa is 21 years old (8/1/82) and has lived in Santa Cruz, CA her entire life. Her American Idol is Stevie Wonder. Besides singing, Lisa enjoys dancing and writing parodies with her friends.
• Kara Master, who graduated from Northwestern University in 2003, where she studied Spanish and business. Kara is originally from Denver, CO. Previously a singing waitress, Kara now works as a medical assistant for a private practice and resides in Palo Alto, CA. Kara is 25 years old (11/7/78) and her favorite singer of all time is Alicia Keys.
• Briana Ramirez-Rial is 23-years-old (11/13/80) and was born in Oxford, England. She has lived in Guam, Montgomery, AL, and currently resides in Klamath Falls, OR, where she attends Klamath Community College. Briana identifies her musical style as a mix between the artists Pink, Celine Dion and Cher. She rides dirt bikes and loves eating shellfish. The advice she gives other singing hopefuls like herself is: "If you want it, go out and get it!"
• Matthew Rogers, a 25-year-old (9/16/78) mortgage banker, enjoys football, fishing and poker. One of his goals is to make the 2007 World Series of Poker Championship. Born in Arcadia, CA, Matt graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in business communications. His definition of an American Idol is a person "who has a great voice, individual style, great look, solid morals, and knows who they are." Matt currently lives in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.
• Jesus Roman, (6/19/79) a father of two, is a 24-year-old from the Bronx, NY. He began singing at the age of 13 and categorizes his vocal style as R&B and pop. Jesus speaks fluent Spanish and loves chicken, rice and beans. His brother, Noel Roman, is also a semifinalist.
• Noel Roman, 22 (12/2/81), enjoys basketball and writing his own music and poetry. His favorite singer of all time is Brian McKnight. The proudest moment of Noel's life was when his son, Noel Roman Jr., was born. His advice for other singing hopefuls: "Never stop moving forward. The light is always green and never red." Noel's brother, Jesus, is also a semifinalist. Noel Roman is from the Bronx, NY.
• Marisa Joy is an identical twin who was born in Healdsburg, CA. Her American Idol is her twin, who's in the Army and is going to Iraq soon. Marisa is 19 years old (8/10/84) and works as an assistant manager in a small coffee shop. Besides singing, Marisa loves to read in her spare time. Marisa studied at Santa Rosa Junior College and now lives in Cloverdale, CA.
• Camile Velasco also goes by the nickname Koy. She was born in Makati City, Philippines and currently lives in Haiku, Maui. Camile is 18 years old (9/1/85) and is a waitress at the International House of Pancakes. She has sung all her life, but she only began performing at age 16.
Other semifinalists include:
• Amy Adams (24 years old) from Bakersfield, CA
• Charly Lowry (20 years old) from Pembroke, NC
• Donnie Williams (20 years old) from Livermore, CA
• Elizabeth Letendre (20 years old) from Sturbridge, MA
• Eric Yoder (25 years old) from St. Louis, MO
• Heather Piccinini (20 years old) from Spring Hill, FL
• Jasmine Trias (17 years old) from Mililani, HI
• John Preator (23 years old) from Provo, UT
• John Stevens (16 years old) from East Amherst, NY
• Jon Peter Lewis (24 years old) from Rexburg, ID
• Jonah Moananu (21 years old) from Honolulu, HI
• Latoya London (25 years old) from Oakland, CA
• Leah Labelle (17 years old) from Seattle, WA
• Lisa Wilson (23 years old) from Rome, GA
• Susan Vulaca (21 years old) from Phoenix, AZ
• Tiara Purifoy (22 years old) from Whitewater, WI
American Idol Tuesday and American Idol Wednesday continue to dominate their time periods and rank as the No. 1 and No. 2 programs of the season among Adults 18-49 and Total Viewers.
