A month after Jordin's controversial Idol win and a week before the Idol concert tour producers have announced audition cities for Season 7, and this time they want to make sure they don't let the good singers fall through the cracks.
The seven-city tour will include four new audition sites-- including San Diego, where the auditions kick off July 30th. First timers Omaha, Charleston, S.C., and Philadelphia will follow, along with Dallas, Atlanta and Miami.
A look at the line-up shows that the southern United States, known as Idol's largest fan base, will again have edge next season. This past finale, in which Arizona's Jordin went up against Blake Lewis from Seattle, was the first without an official Southerner, though Jordin's connections to the Gospel Music Association and anti-abortion movement (not to mention her size) spread her popularity through the region.
The tryouts will start a week earlier than last season because producers also will conduct auditions for their new Fox reality series, The Search for the Next Great American Band.
To avoid repeats of past weather issues, most auditions will take place indoors, with the exception of Qualcomm Stadium in sunny San Diego and Dallas' Texas Stadium, which has a partly covered roof. Producers will narrow each city's hopefuls to 300 to 400 of the best and worst. Executive producers Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick will chop them down to about 120 per city to sing to judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.
Auditions are open to 16- to 28-year-olds as of July 28th. Details will be found at AmericanIdol.com.
-- Tabloid Baby