On last night’s American Idol audition episode, 26 Denver-based contestants earned a ticket to Hollywood. One of them was Casey James, a rumored semifinalist we’ve previously profiled.
Another was Haeley Vaughn.
This 16-year old from Fort Collins, Colorado may have stood out more than any aspiring singer yet on season nine. For what reason? We can name a few:
- Born premature, Haeley weighed just two pounds as a newborn.
- Her father died when she was 10.
- Her dream is to be an “black Carrie Underwood or a female Darius Rucker.”
There aren’t exactly an overwhelming number of African-American country singers out there, giving Vaughn a unique niche. Watch her audition below and comment away: Does she have what it takes to be the next American Idol?