American Idol

More than 12,000 people showed up to audition in Atlanta for Season 7 of American Idol. There were 20 golden tickets granted to the best in the crowd.

In order to prepare myself for getting down to the best of the season — and also my favorite parts of the show — I’m only sharing the highlights from Atlanta. In case you weren’t watching, here’s the cream from the Atlanta crop:

Josh Jones works with glass by day. At American Idol, he makes it through with a golden ticket … somehow. But he’s not a great singer. At all. I’m not sure what Paula and Randy saw in this guy. They made him sing with his back turned to them, after all. Why? Because he made bizarre faces. That’s not a good sign.

Asia’h Eperson

After Asia’h Eperson’s father passed away just a couple of days before her Idol audition, she switched up her song to LeAnn Rimes’ How Do I Live. Not only does Asia’h have an incredible story on her road to Idol, but she also has a beautiful look and incredible power to be able to move forward to this point. Three “yes” votes from the judges means we’re not done seeing Asia’h just yet. And, the good news to this sad story? Rumors suggest she could be around for some time …

Brooke Helvie was out to prove to Simon that pageant girls can sing. The truth is Brooke can sing. The problem? It was a pageant performance. Her giddy Kellie Pickler-esque appearance and attitude were enough to win over the judges. I, however, am not so sold.

Alexandrea Lushington

Alexandrea Lushington chose My Funny Valentine to try and win over the judges. Simon looked unimpressed. Bored even. But the 16-year-old impressed Randy and Simon. And me, which, let’s be honest, is who really matters. I can’t wait to hear more from Alexandrea, who I think could do well with the challenge of different theme weeks.

Amanda Overmyer

Amanda Overmyer easily could be this season’s rocker chick. Her voice is rough and raw. Her look is so Gina Glocksen, it hurts a little bit. But Amanda certainly is interesting. She’s the real deal. Imagine this girl in the corner of a smoky bar, performing in front of a rock band, and you’d not be far off at all. Let’s see how far she can go. “She’s the female Chris Daughtry,” Paula even said.

Josiah Leming

Josiah Leming is an 18-year-old living in his car. He chose to sing an original song, To Run. When he talks, he’s American. When he sings, he’s trying to be a British frontman. Still, there’s a little something cool about this kid. I’m not sure what I like about him — maybe it’s his love of Snow Patrol — but this may be the one time I actually am not laughing at a fake British accent.

So, which Atlanta favorite has the best chance of taking the top prize? That’s got to be Asia’h Eperson. She’s got the look, the voice and the story to end all stories. At this point, she certainly is my Atlanta favorite.

American Idol, Randy Jackson, Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Asia’h Eperson