What we did get was a great beginning and a great finish to the show.

First up we saw Johnny Keyser, a 22-year old Italian restaurant server. I agreed with the judges who didn’t want him to stop singing Change Is Gonna Come. I loved him and so did the judges so he of course headed to Hollywood.

Mark Ingram, the auditor of the hotel where the American Idol 2012 auditions were being held tried his luck with Stevie Wonder’s Overjoyed. It got him off work for a few minutes but sadly didn’t get him to Hollywood.

Reis Kloeckner was bullied in school but music pulled him through. He joined the choir and found supportive friends who gave him the confidence to audition. I think he’d be better in a group but we’ll see how he does in Hollywood.

Ethan Jones dropped out of school to become a musician. He was in a band with his dad, apart from the time the latter was in rehab. Nice back story and it made Steven Tyler sit up, but honestly he was just Ok on I’ll Be by Edwin McCain. Good projection on an ordinary voice. He got a golden ticket and called his dad, who is recovering. OK, so that made me cry, but I doubt we’ll see Ethan after Hollywood. Will someone get him a bandaid for his bleeding head, though? He had been so nervous before his audition he had scratched it.

Lauren Gray was “one of the best voices we’ve heard” according to Jennifer Lopez and although I’m not so sure about that, I liked her version of Adele’s One and Only. It didn’t reduce me to tears but I liked her, OK. Randy and Steven were just tiresome talking about whether to break before or after a big note. Of course Lauren is going to Hollywood!

Rachelle Lamb is yet another woman held back from fulfilling her dreams by a husband she has now ditched. (Where did aspiring singers find all these nasty men?) She sang Faith Hill’s Somebody New, a song apparently disliked by her ex. Oh the made-for-TV irony! She sang it to her cute little daughter and that is probably where we should leave her.

So there we have it. St. Louis. See you next week for “the most emotional and exhausting Hollywood Week ever”!

First up was Brittany Zika, who really did blossom with a bit of encouragement from the American Idol judges. She arrived complete with a fedora and giant, black hipster glasses, which the judges talked her in to ditching and I’m glad she did. Her warm, melodious voice shone through on The Story by Brandi Carlile. She got three yeses.

Ben Purdom was a bit of a dork. It doesn’t help that he turned up for a singing competition with a head cold. Bad timing, but I don’t think it’s just a head cold that made him pretty lousy on both Born This Way and then Super Bass. The judges agree and he got no further in the competition.

The first thing to notice about Jermaine Jones was his height. He is 6’8”. His mom says he “came out singing” at birth and he has continued that through his family and church. His take on Superstar was nice but didn’t blow me or the judges away. But he got a golden ticket anyway.

Britnee Kellog arrived with an interesting back story that gave her all the life experience she needed to give Linda Ronstadt’s No Good real gravitas. Of course she is going to Hollywood and we will hopefully see more of her two beautiful young sons and that gorgeous ex-husband of hers.

Sam Gershman’s aggressive cheerfulness got on my nerves even before she told us that she is a “motivational dancer.” What is that, then? Maybe we will never find out as her basically okay voice wasn’t enough to send her to Hollywood.

David Weed started well on Tom Sawyer by Rush. He sounded halfway decent for the first couple of lines and then I don’t know what happened. But David had a Plan B: stand up comedy. Unfortunately he wasn’t any better at telling jokes as he was singing so we said goodbye to him.

Romeo Diahn, a Liberian war refugee, spent years in a camp inGhana. He had a winning smile and a nice voice that probably won’t be strong enough to carry him through many rounds but at least he got to Hollywood.

Naomi Gillies asked permission from Steven to sing some Aerosmith, which of course he gives. She sang Cryin’, and she wasn’t fantastic. I liked her jacket more than her voice but she got through.

Ben Harrison would have been more adorable had he not described himself as “adorable.” In between saying “rock and roll” way too many times he perhaps unwisely attempted Queen’s Somebody to Love. Truly awful, so we quickly say goodbye to Ben.

Jessica Phillips got an easy pass to the next round with a combination of a pretty good R&B voice and a touching back story. Last year, her long-term boyfriend had a massive stroke, and when he woke up in the hospital, he didn’t know who she was. They’re still together, and she helps him with his speech therapy.

It was a heartwarming way to end the American Idol auditions in Portland. Somehow 45 people got golden tickets but we didn’t get to see many of them, somehow. Tonight (Thursday) meet me in St. Louis for more auditions.

Jennifer Lopez failed to see eye to eye with fellow judges Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler on several occasions during the Houston Texas auditions.

Even host Ryan Seacrest hinted at “dissension in the ranks.”

Viewers then saw a montage of female singers, starting with Miss Houston 2011 Rachael Turner, who Lopez wanted to put through to Hollywood but Tyler and Jackson did not.

When the boys voted to send home choir teacher Reagan Wilson, Jennifer asked them, “Are you guys crazy?”

The rejection of student Cheyenne James (17) left Lopez looking visibly stunned when Tyler and Jackson admitted they hadn’t been that impressed.

“You are joking, right?” said Lopez. “I thought you were amazing. Souful, rich, I just loved it… I would have said yes and if I had two people who were hearing correctly right now they would have said yes and we would have been putting you through to Hollywood and you might have made it very far, so I’m sorry.”

But it was the sending through of bartender Linda Williams (24) which sent Jennifer over the edge.

Steven Tyler thought she was great, while Lopez muttered that she must be in The Twilight Zone because she personally couldn’t connect with Linda’s voice.

She added to Jackson, who enjoyed the performance: “Wake up, honestly, I feel like somebody slipped you something.”

In the end, Tyler and Jackson overruled Jennifer and sent Linda to Hollywood, despite sounding what she called “awful.”
“I was literally so angry I almost had an anxiety attack!” Jennifer fumed.

American Idol airs Wednesdays and Thursdays on Fox.

First up was the adorable Phong Vu. He loved the judges but unfortunately they did not really love him. Both his voice and his dancing failed to impress. I wish he had been better as being on American Idol clearly meant a lot to him, but he didn’t get a golden ticket. Don’t worry, though: he vowed to be back next year.

That was just the first of several rejections. But then came one to watch: Skylar Lane. Hell on Heels was a great song choice for the outdoorsy yet feminine Skylar. Her fabulous voice rightfully carried her forward in the competition. I love her confidence too and the joy she obviously has in singing. The judges agreed and sent her to Hollywood, but not before she has Steven Tyler hugged her friend who was waiting for her outside.

Baylie Brown made it to Hollywood in season six when she was just sixteen. Now she is back and in it to win it. With a voice like that, she very well might hint, hint for the live shows… you were warned about these American Idol spoilers!)

Kristine Osorio (28) was next up with high hopes because this is her only chance to audition. (The age cut off is twenty-eight.) The judges love her and she barely had to sing before the judges told her she was off to Hollywood.

Jennifer Lopez then seemed out of step with the other judges, championing a few contestants who were ultimately rejected, before we got to Alejandro Cazares (26), who was out to prove the underdog could win. Not this underdog, though. The judges get on the same page finally to reject him but he says he will be back next year. We’ll see.

For the second day of Texas auditions, we kicked off with Cortez Shaw, who sings Someone Like You by Adele. Mmmm-mmmm this guy looked good and sounded good and booked his ticket to Hollywood. He loves his mom, too. Adorable!

After a few more rejected acts we got to the final act of the day: Ramiro Garcia, a worship leader in his church. He was born with no ears and there was the possibility that he couldn’t hear or talk. After multiple surgeries, they were able to discover an eardrum and he now has a voice. And what a voice. His version of Amazing Grace made me cry for all the right reasons and I’m not afraid to admit it. Suffice it to say that I hope the Top 24 spoiler was slightly wrong, but somehow I doubt it. Still, he got to Hollywood.

So, in total, fifty five people made it to Hollywood last night from Texas.

Next week American Idol 2012 auditions move on to the Pacific Northwest.

The music executive spoke about the upcoming 11th season of the hit singing competition, which premieres tonight (Wednesday, January 18) in an interview with fellow judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler.

Likening American Idol to a Picasso, Jackson said:

“It was the first one ever, and still the best, to me, ever of any kind of show like this.”

He says the show remains very real and very honest, with little gamesmanship. He pointed out the wide range of acts who could hope to be successful through American Idol.

“If somebody is really talented, whatever the flavor of the talent is – country, rock, R&B, blues, jazz, whatever it is – we’re going to embrace that and nurture it,” he said.

The last season of American Idol probably demonstrated that better than most, despite the final two contestants being essentially country acts.

Fellow judge Jennifer Lopez also spoke about the American Idol audition process, suggesting that the “intimacy” of singing in a room alone with the three judges was “nerve-wracking” for the contestants.

But the On The Floor singer said she loves being an American Idol judge because without the show she wouldn’t have the opportunity to pass on what she has learned from her years in the music industry.

American Idol 10 was won by country singer Scotty McCreery, who is currently on tour with Brad Paisley and celebrating the success of debut album Clear As Day, which was recently certified platinum.

Six other season ten finalists have also gone on to land recording contracts: James Durbin, Pia Toscano, Stefano Langone, Haley Reinhart, Casey Abrams and runner-up Lauren Alaina.

That is an amazing achievement for the reality TV show, but judge Steven Tyler says that this season could be even better, with “a lot of frontrunners” in a field of strong talent.

American Idol returns for its eleventh season with a two-night premiere featuring audition highlights from Savannah and Pittsburgh tonight (Wednesday, January 18) and Thursday, January 19 at 8/7c on Fox.

Anthony (43) has refused to go to Peru and Chile to host and executive produce the latest auditions on his show Q’Viva: The Chosen after a massive argument with Lopez (42) last week.

Insiders say the atmosphere between the former couple was very tense. In a conference call with show executives, the discussion degenerated into a discussion of Casper Smart, Jennifer’s new boyfriend. In the end, Marc Anthony refused to work with her.

The I Need To Know singer Anthony waited until Lopez’s private jet had taken off from Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca, heading to Peru, to call Idol creator Simon Fuller to tell him that he was considering quitting their show for good, according to Star magazine.

Fuller’s XIX Entertainment makes the Q’Viva show, which scours Latin America for untapped talent in singers, dancers, musicians, and performers. Jennifer Lopez is currently filming the show without her soon-to-be ex-husband Marc Anthony.

He stated not being able to work with Jennifer as the reason for quitting. Close friends have termed this “his Latin pride.” That has been severely damaged by the divorce.

Millions of dollars are at stake in the making of the show, so producers are desperately talking to Marc Anthony to try to bring him back on board.

Lopez and Anthony announced they were splitting up in July after having been married for seven years. They have three-year-old twins Max and Emme.

No word on how the co-parenting is going after the split but it seems that now Jennifer Lopez has found a new love interest, he is not interested in working with her at all!

The singer-and actress has been dating dancer Casper Smart for a few weeks ago and it has now been revealed that Smart (24) has a number of speeding and traffic-related charges against his name

According to police records, they Casper Smart’s offenses including speeding at over 100 miles per hour and illegal drag racing. He was also charged with driving without a valid license in 2004, 2006 and 2007, while in 2005 he allegedly evaded electronic toll charges. In 2004 and 2005 he also reportedly exceeded speeds of 65 miles per hour.

Casper posted $26,000 in relation to the charges but they are  still pending and in March he pleaded no contest.

Now he has a court appearance scheduled for January 5 2012 and must complete 10 days of community service before then. If he is found guilty he could be sent to jail for 90 days and have to pay a $500 fine.

It is not yet known whether Jennifer (42) will be supporting him in court. After all, that is two months away and that is a long time in celebrity relationships, it seems. Lopez is said to be treating the relationship as a “fun fling” rather than anything serious and is enjoying getting to know Casper.

Jennifer has three-year-old twins, Max and Emme with estranged husband Marc Anthony.

Nigel Lythgoe’s announcement on Seacrest’s KIIS-FM radio show in Los Angeles  ends months of speculation, as Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler had all been undecided about returning. Of course, it was all about wanting more money and they got it.

Jennifer Lopez was rumored to be wanting more than her existing $20 million contract. Her fellow judges, perhaps in a fit of jealousy, also launched their own pay negotiations. Steven Tyler’s original two-year deal worth $10 million didn’t suit him once he saw how popular he was an a new American Idol” judge.

“American Idol” producers know successful the chemistry has been between the new “cuddly” judging panel. Fears for the show’s popularity once Mr. Nasty, Simon Cowell, left the show, were seen to be groundless.

So, the “American Idol” judges will soon hit the road for auditions for the show’s eleventh season in the following cities: Denver, Colorado; Houston, Texas; St. Louis, Missouri; San Diego, California; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Charleston, South California and Portland, Oregon.

“American Idol” has been the top-rated show on US TV for most of the last decade. Fears that ratings would drop when old favourites Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell left to work on “The X Factor USA” came to nothing.

“American Idol” returns for its eleventh season in January on Fox.

“They say I’m a single man,” he teased the crowd.

He then proceeded to mingle seductively with female audience members at his show in Bogota’s Simon Bolivar Metropolitan Park. So it was business as usual for him and his adoring female fans may have been saddened by the J-Lo split but they were probably just a little more excited than usual, due to Marc Anthony’s newly single status

Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez described their decision to part after seven years of marriage and having the twins together as “very difficult” but they claimed that they had reached “an amicable conclusion on all matters” and would remain friends and work together in the future.

Contrary to reports that Lopez “couldn’t wait” to divorce Anthony, she has since stated that she tried very hard to save their marriage for the sake of their 3-year-old twins Max and Emme.

But this week, Lopez is on a different continent entirely to Marc Anthony. She is jetting off to a private engagement which will see her earn $1m for performing at the Ukrainian wedding of one of her wealthy male fans.

However, the former couple of March Anthony and Jennifer Lopez will still work together on their forthcoming Latin music reality show “¡Q’viva!” (“The Chosen”) they have conformed. That should make for some interesting on-screen chemistry – or lack of it. Paula Abdul and Cheryl Cole may have nothing on these two!

Red Light District, YouPorn.com, and PornHub.com are all trying to submit the highest bid for this highly prized video. The bids have now reached around $40,000. If you think that’s low, it’s because there is no actual sex on the tape – just some making out and spanking fun.

Jennifer Lopez tried desperately hard to block her ex, Ojani Noa, from releasing the tape. However, last week, an L.A. judge ruled she had no case to stop the distribution of the sexy home movie.

That judgement sparked a porn bidding war. However, no deal has yet been struck.

Lopez is now married to singer and musician Marc Anthony and is the mother of twins. Her position as a judge on American Idol this year has again rejuvenated J-Lo’s career, which has stumbled a number of times. Coincidentally, along with her career resurrection, she also bagged the title of Sexiest Woman in the World!

Things are really looking up for Jennifer Lopez again now. Her career has had more reincarnations than a phoenix and she could show a chameleon a thing or two about changing appearance.

So what do you think about this honeymoon video being released? And do you want to see it yourself?