American Idol

Britnee Kellogg auditioned for American Idol in Portland last night and the backstory she shared with us shed a great deal of light on Jennifer Lopez's divorce from Marc Anthony.

Wait... what?!?

The 27-year old hopeful told the judges she was married for a long time to a basketball player, giving up her dreams so that he could follow his own... only for him to then cheat on her and tear their family apart. Cue to a close-up of J. Lo and a comment from her later on of "I am feeling you!"

Are you feeling Kellogg's cover of "You're Bo Good?" Does she deserve a spot in Hollywood? View now:

Britnee Kellogg American Idol Audition

Keep an eye on Britnee in Hollywood, along with refugee camp survivor Romeo Diahn. He has an amazing story.

A total of 45 Golden Tickets were handed out in Portland last night, as American Idol made its first-ever stop in this Pacific Northwest city.

But one contestant made an impression above all others who were granted access to Hollywood: Romeo Diahn, a Liberia native who fled that country in the 1990s during its civil war and ended up in a refugee camp in Ghana.

As Steven Tyler notes in the following audition, Diahn literally sang for his life during his time there, and the result - as J. Lo puts it - is a unique "vibe and flavor" unlike anyone else the judges have seen.

It's an incredible story and we'll be keeping our eye on Romeo in Hollywood.

Romeo Diahn American Idol Audition

If you haven't seen the video of President Obama singing Al Green at a fundraiser at New York City's legendary Apollo Theater last week, you need to.

No matter what you think of his views, the Prez proved with his riff on "Let's Stay Together" that he's got pipes! And we weren't the only ones impressed.

Friday, American Idol executive producer Nigel Lythgoe Tweeted an official offer to the Commander in Chief that he can't refuse. Or at least he shouldn't:

Obama Sings Al Green

"@BarackObama we loved your vocal performance so much we'd love to invite you on to #AmericanIdol this Season for a duet with Al Green."

Now that would be the DVR moment of the decade.

We're gonna guess that Obama will cite scheduling conflicts and pass, but if you think about it, what better way to win over voters in an election year?

Okay, perhaps a robust economy would be a bigger ballot box boost, but you get the idea. The guy's vocal chops are legit and deserve a wider audience.

President Obama in 2012?

Baylie Brown enjoyed a triumphant return to American Idol last night.

Five years after her initial appearance on the show - during which she advanced to Hollywood, was paired with uncooperative teammates ere and then forgot the lyrics on stage - this 21-year old Texan showed off a new hair color and a great voice yesterday as one of the 54 Golden Ticket recipients (along with Kristine Osorio and Ramiro Garcia) to make it out of The Lone Star State.

Watch her first try out below, lament how much we miss Simon Cowell by watching him once again in action, and then compare it to her version of "Bed of Roses" from this week's audition.

Baylie Brown Season 6 Audition for American Idol

Baylie Brown Season 11 Audition for American Idol

We're not sure if we'd recommend the route Kristine Osorio took to arrive in Texas for season 11 auditions on American Idol.

This single mother of three took out a loan to help pay for a divorce attorney... and then used those funds instead on a plane ticket south. But, hey, it's working out so far for the 28-year old, who didn't simply receive a Golden Ticket to Hollywood last night, she caused Jennifer Lopez to utter "Thank God" the moment Osorio hit her first note.

Watch the VERY impressive try out now:

Kristine Osorio American Idol Audition

Osorio is one of two contestants from the most recent episode who really stood out. The other is Ramiro Garcia. His audition and backstory truly moved us.

Stories do not come much more inspiring than that of Ramiro Garcia.

This church worship leader closed out American Idol auditions in Texas last night and he did it with a background that's hard to believe: the aspiring singer was born without ears and told by doctors he'd never hear.

But Garcia started to undergo a series of surgeries at age four and here he is years later, bringing the judges to tears. We gotta imagine we'll be seeing a lot more of Ramiro in Hollywood...

Ramiro Garcia American Idol Audition

Jairon Jackson is a lover, not a fighter.

Jennifer Lopez made this seemingly random assessment last night on American Idol, after the 19-year old Colorado native sang an original track for the judges. He titled the single "So Hard," but Jackson's soulful crooning made the panel's decision ever so easy.

Watch for yourself:

Jairon Jackson American Idol Audition

Jairon was one of a number of Aspen contestants to celebrate this week with a Golden Ticket. Other standouts included Angie Zeiderman and Shelby Tweten.

Angie Zeiderman wants to one day open for Lady Gaga and also be best friends with that artist. We doubt either will happen.

But could this American Idol hopeful go on to have some kind of singing career? It's possible, based on her unique audition in Aspen last night.

Referring to herself as a "vintage glitter queen," Zeiderman at first sang a terrible version of "When You Got It, Flaunt It" from The Producers. It left J. Lo intrigued, but Randy doubtful.

Then, however, she busted out a rendition of "Blue Bayou" by Linda Rondstadt and damn if it didn't result in unanimous approval for Hollywood. This girl can actually sing!

Angie Zeiderman American Idol Audition

Among Angie's leading competition from last night's Idol installment: Haley Smith and Shelby Tweten.

We're accustomed to our heartstrings being pulled on American Idol. We enter each early round audition prepared for some kind of moving story that producers hope will endear a contestant to the audience at home.

But Shelby Tweten still got us.

This Minnesota native was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in March, has suffered from depression since fourth grade and relies on singing with her mother to overcome the worst of her disease. It's an inspiring story and that, along with a strong voice, earned Shelby a ticket to Hollywood:

Shelby Tweten American Idol Audition

Watch the audition above and then check out another we enjoyed from Idol's Aspen showcase, as Haley Smith took us back to the 1970s.

She's already a House cleaner, a busser and a meat packer.

But Haley Smith, an 18-year old who - by her own admission - lives "in the middle of nowhere" in Colorado, hopes to add a fourth job to her resume: American Idol champion!

The nature lover auditioned on last night's Aspen-based episode and blew the judges away with a cover of "Tell Me Something Good." Randy and Jennifer both loved her retro vibe, comparing her to artists from the 1960s and 1970s, while Steven said it was an "honor" to her Haley sing.

That's high praise. See for yourself if it was deserved:

Haley Smith American Idol Audition