Heartbroken ‘American Idol’ contestant Fire Wilmore holds back tears after being rejected by judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan as her daughter mistakenly gives her a Golden Ticket. (Photo: ABC)
On Sunday at American Idol, Katy Perry explained that nobody makes it out of the audition room with a golden ticket in hand just because of a sobbing story. “No sympathy votes!” she insisted.
Of course, this was a dubious claim considering how often tears flow at Idol; Some recent Confessions auditions have felt like therapy sessions, and soft-hearted judge Lionel Richie has already used up his season 21 tissue budget with another week of auditions to go.
But when Sunday’s last contestant, 22-year-old single mom Fire Wilmore, arrived with her adorable baby daughter Maja in tow, her losing streak really wasn’t enough to convince the judges. And that was the saddest story of all – although in typical Idol fashion, this turned out to be a story with a cliff-side twist.
“Honestly, my life is kind of a crazy story,” Fire said Sunday, opening up about how she was taken from her drug-addicted mother at a young age and placed in government care under India’s Child Protection Act, by her own admission, “this young little Indian girl who was dirty because I had no parents to take care of me. My life really sucked.”
At the age of 18, Fire unexpectedly found herself “pregnant and alone,” and she explained, “I didn’t want to see it [Maja] Battle. I didn’t want her to live the life I had in any way, shape or form.” Fire currently works as a stripper to care for her child – “The world isn’t designed for single mothers to be successful, so I did what I had to do,” she said matter-of-factly — but she told the judges she wants “to do better. I have to stop dancing. I have to do this for myself. I have to do this for my daughter.”
Before her audition, Fire and Maja threw coins down a fountain and wished that Idol would give Fire the big chance that would help her change her life. But that dream was shattered after Fire sang Bruno Mars’ “Talking to the Moon,” not quite living up to her glowing stage name.
The story goes on
“Gosh. I just wanted your voice to be more,” Luke Bryan sighed. “Vocally it wasn’t as good as I was hoping for.”
“There wasn’t enough fire,” said a disappointed Katy. “But I appreciate that you want it.”
It was unclear exactly what was holding Fire back. Maybe she wanted this too much, so she cracked under the pressure. Maybe she just couldn’t allow herself to be completely vulnerable on TV after a lifetime of staying strong and on the alert to protect herself. The judges were actually trying to coach Fire to put more fire into her performance (“I think you just need to be pushed,” Lionel said nicely), and while she took her direction well, there was still an interruption. So Lionel and Luke just couldn’t say yes to Hollywood.
“It’s not fair, but that’s life,” Lionel shrugged.
Katy then started cheering up Fire, who was clearly trying to hold back her bitter tears, and told her so. “That’ll be ok. It is. There’s always beauty. There’s always light in the dark.” But when 4-year-old Maja, who had been playing next to the wall display of shiny gold tickets in the lecture hall, walked over and her mother excitedly gave a Handing out those tickets, the mortified fire had to tell her bluntly, “No. Go and put it back.”
While Katy (mostly) stayed true to her word and didn’t give Fire a “Sympathy Vote” (or a Golden Ticket), she did tell Fire, “You don’t deserve three nos. … you have something there; I just think it wasn’t fleshed out enough. So, I’ve got a little something for you: We’ll be in Nashville in a month. And here we give you a second chance. Then you show us where the fire is. OK? … You have a month.”
Katy Perry is urging rejected singer and single mom Fire Wilmore to try again at next month’s ‘American Idol’ auditions in Nashvile. (Photo: ABC)
So this wasn’t quite the triumph of spirit coupled with a neat little looping happy ending that viewers usually expect at the end of any feel-good idol episode. Of course, it was probably all a setup made for television; I’m not even sure if Fire has shared her full story, as fan site Idol Chatter reports that she works for the Humane Society, was once an E2 Private in the US Army, and was recently accepted into her “dream school,” according to the New Yorker Conservatory of Performing Arts. Regardless, I imagine Fire will get some votes — sympathy or not — from the judges when her Nashville do-over audition airs next week.
“I’m not just someone who’s been through a lot. I work hard and I need it,” Fire explained Sunday as she left the audition room with Maja, vowing to work on her craft. “I need to change my life”
Whether or not Fire’s segment was rigged, the rest of Sunday’s penultimate casting episode was pretty conflicting — because the judges weren’t nearly as harsh on several other singers who honestly didn’t gross more than Fire. It was frustrating to see the panel give the green light to some very green singers while others were seemingly arbitrarily turned away. Suffice it to say that a few “sympathy votes” were indeed cast on Sunday. The rest of the evening went like this:
Mariah Faith, 21: “Whenever You Come”/”I Can’t Make You Love Me”
This earth mom reminded me a bit of Season 9’s Crystal Bowersox — not only because of the blonde dreadlocks and hippie strands, but also because of her bird-like, crystalline tone. I thought Mariah’s first performance, dedicated to her beloved late stepfather, was more than enough to earn a Golden Ticket, but mysteriously, Katy thought Mariah was “playing it a little safe” and said she needed Mariah’s ” inner lions” roar. At Katy’s request, Mariah did the Bonnie Raitt tearjerker, and although she was nervous about being caught on the spot, she made the judges really love her. “I had chills the whole time. You’re just on the verge of greatness. It doesn’t matter if you hit a ‘wrong’ note — it’s still right,” Luke said. Katy praised Mariah’s “natural scream” and called him “one of the most interesting voices this season”. And Lionel said to Mariah, “Your potential could take you to the end.” In fact, the judges made such a 180 that they even invited Mariah for the contestants who made it to the end last year — Noah Thompson and Huntergirl – the best two of season 20 – to open in concert the next night.
Nailyah Serenity, 22: “Oh my man”
I wasn’t expecting this hippie girl with the jeweled eyes to cover the almighty Barbra Streisand – which Katy called an “incredible choice” – but she absolutely had it. I loved how this top notch number didn’t sing too much and brought what Lionel called a “Nina thing, an Ella thing” into the song. “You spread it with your own flair. They gave it that contemporary vibe. It was surprising,” Katy gasped. I think it’s in the stars that this zodiac reader, Katy’s proud “Scorpio sister,” will become a star in Hollywood.
Kayleigh Clark, 17: “The Dance”/ “I Surrender”
This sweet Mississippi farm girl had a slurred voice and her school concert-level performance was dull and deadpan. “It’s a bit quiet. I need more. …You have a beautiful voice, but for some reason it doesn’t fill the room,” an underwhelmed Katy told Kayleigh. Lionel thought Kayleigh had finally “arrived” on her requested second song, and Luke bizarrely thought Kayleigh could make the top 10 if she “really, really got into it.” But I agreed with Katy who said no. I’m pretty tired of the judges holding hands, aggressively coaching, and giving second chances to all these nervous contestants who are so obviously not ready for prime time. They could have at least told Kayleigh to come back in a month! But who knows, Kayleigh might surprise doubters like Katy and me.
Tori Green, 20: “Cry Pretty”
OK, this gospel belter’s voice really filled the room! So I was stunned when Luke, whom Katy jokingly accused of having “unrealistic expectations” for season 21, found Tori’s cover of Carrie Underwood “stiff” and unemotional. Luckily for Tori, Lionel and Katy appreciated her powerful lung power, but Luke completely contradicted himself by saying no to Tori after giving the much stiffer Kayleigh such an enthusiastic yes.
PJAE, 23: “Mirror”
This Oklahoma belter was bullied as a kid for being overweight and flamboyant; He turned to food for comfort and weighed 400 pounds by the time he graduated high school. Now 150 pounds lighter and infinitely more confident, PJAE poured all of his pain into his sleek and soulful Madison Ryann Ward cover. “I’ve said a lot of no’s this year to reach out to someone like you. We dealt with some singers who didn’t really make the emotional connection. You just destroyed everything”, Luke marveled. “Today was the first time I felt a wave of chills so naturally. It was so beautiful, so effortless, so angelic, emotional, sad and painful,” gushed Katy. And Lionel told PJAE: “Your journey has begun. … I think this is the start of something really amazing for you.”
Warren Peay, 23: “To the table”
This electrical repairman and worship leader from South Carolina walked in and “looked like Chris Stapleton’s brother,” as Katy put it), and thankfully, “he sounded like it, too.” Luke said Warren’s voice “cut through” and sounded “badass,” and Lionel said Warren sounded “like FM radio” and “about as close to the top 10 as I have in my life.” heard”. I think the judges forgot that there can only be TEN people in the top 10 because I lost track of how many times they’ve declared a candidate “top 10 material” this season. But Warren is the real deal, so hopefully the judges’ fuzzy math will pay off for him.
Carina Deangelo, 25: “Good kisser”
This sultry girl, whose day job is running a meatball company with her mom called My Balls, gave a perky and meaty rendition of Lake Street Dive’s breakup song. She didn’t even have to bribe the judges with plates of marinara-sliced beef to earn her three yeses. “All I ask is that you take your plate of eggs to Hollywood,” Katy told Carina. I just hope Carina covers Accept’s “Balls to the Wall” this season (waiting for that).
Johnny Knox, 26: “She doesn’t”
This “sourdough starter” — he bakes, and he (also unnecessarily) bribed the judges with carbs — had a certain Jack Johnson-on-SNL “The Mellow Show” vibe to him. But he wasn’t boring: there was an unexpected, attention-grabbing attack on his falsetto, and his original song was solid. “I think you’re only going to get better,” Katy explained. I just hope Johnny covers some (wait for) bread this season.
Paige Anne, 16: “What about us?”
The food theme continued with this sno-cone queen trying to wow the panel with her signature shaved ice flavor, Sour Patch Kids. Paige didn’t hit sour notes, but she got off to a lukewarm start, so Katy understandably froze her. But eventually, this crushed-ice kid from snowy Idaho broke her pink performance and earned herself two yeses.
Ophrah Kablan, 20: “Baby, I love you”
This diva picked a challenging Aretha song (is there such a thing as a non-challenging Aretha song?) because, as she explained to the podium that collapsed at midday, “I’m trying to get you all out of your seats today!” ( Maybe the judges weren’t really tired from Sunday’s many mediocre singers and just found themselves in a brain freeze/eating coma after munching on all that starch, red meat, sour sugar and ice cream.) Anyway, Ophrah pulled it off Mission. “I took her to church! You weren’t ready! I love a good old hardwood floor, a service that stomps your feet, and we had that on American Idol today,” Ophrah said after her dynamite performance had the judges jumping out of their chairs and shouting, “Hallelujah!” and testify. “You’ve become our salvation, girl!” Lionel cried out in gratitude as a rousing chorus of three yeses rang out.
Kamron Lawson, 21: “Take on Me” / “Really”
On the newer, understated MTV Unplugged version of A-Ha’s new wave classic, Kamron hit Morten Harket’s high note with ease, exuding sweetness and sympathy during his charming performance. “There’s something about you that sparkles at me,” Katy said. Katy was suitably impressed with Kamron’s “big instrument” but thought he “didn’t know how to use it yet” and Luke thought Kamron had “one of the better falsettos we’ve heard” but was too “tame and sure”. Perhaps Kamron should have done the livelier original version of “Take on Me,” but he instead opted for another ’80s song: Lionel’s own “Truly.” He understandably “gagged” at first – even Lionel conceded that “Truly” is extremely difficult to sing – but with Lionel’s encouragement, Kamron mostly pulled it off. I personally prefer his a-ha performance, but the happy ending result was that the jury decided to “take in” this “really” talented kid and send him to Hollywood.
Owen Eckhardt, 19: “Something Orange”
I liked the rugged Zach Bryan cover of this untrained, rough-hewn troubadour, which reminded me of Devendra Banhart or Sondre Lerche; Katy even said, “Am I so bold as to say there’s little Elvis Presley in there?” Obviously Owen is a natural, as Luke told him, “You do a lot of things wrong, but you do a lot of cool things. … So for some reason I’ll give you a yes.” I figured there were a lot of good reasons to put Owen through to Hollywood, where I think any little bad habits he has can be easily fixed.
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