Nice guys (and girls) finish first on ‘Idol’

The most successful “American Idol” champion of recent vintage is Carrie Underwood, a girl from small-town Oklahoma who grew to become a country music superstar. Looking to recapture that dynamic after two lackluster champions in a row, the “Idol” producers went to Omaha, Nebraska, hoping for another dose of Midwest magic.

Time will tell whether any of the 19 hopefuls who advanced can follow in Underwood’s footsteps, but it’s clear that the show is giving them every chance. Virtually the entire hour on Tuesday’s show was focused on the success stories, with all of the wholesome goodness a cynical city-dweller would expect from farm country.

One by one, the clean-cut, modest and humble contestants aw-shucksed their way past Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell, got their golden tickets, and booked their flights to Hollywood. There were clearly thousands upon thousands who were just as bad as the lesser lights in other cities, but they got very little airtime.

Girls impress the judges
Angelica Puente was this year’s teenage girl looking to patch things up with her father by going on national television and singing well. The 17-year-old from Kenosha, Wisc., complained about how her father was so strict she had to move in with her grandmother, but also cried about how much that hurt him. “I just don’t want him to think I’m throwing my life away,” she said.

To prove to him that she could do it, she sang “Power of Love” by Celine Dion. She sang it very loud and very proud, and to the judges’ taste very much like a copy of Dion. “It’s such a mimic. I often encourage people to stop listening to all of those people anymore because you’re going to wind up sounding just like them,” said Randy, who spent the entire day in mentoring mode.

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Simon and Paula agreed, but voted her onward anyway and anointed her as one to watch. And when Ryan Seacrest made her call her dad and tell him the news, he agreed. “She’s always been my ‘American Idol’ either way,” her dad said. “For her to actually be going (to Hollywood) is badass.”

Puente’s dad might disagree, but Rachael Wicker is what passed for a real tough girl in Omaha. She’s an arm wrestler who says she’s undefeated in six competitions, and the 23-year-old added to her win total by knocking off Paula.

Her singing was less impressive, as Randy remarked on her “half-yodel” during her performance of Lee Ann Womack’s “Don’t Tell Me.” But she made it through despite Simon’s no vote, and as Ryan put it in the dumbest pun of the night, she “strong-armed her way to Hollywood.”

Samantha Sidley’s “Don’t Know Why” by Norah Jones was good enough to get her four yes votes — the three judges, plus special guest judge Ryan. “I like your voice, but I think you need to work on your self-confidence,” Ryan said, channeling Paula Abdul.

Elizabeth Erkert and Denise Jackson were also shown advancing, as was Michael Sanfilippo in the same montage. But Erkert has a little bit to work on before she moves on, judging by her parting comment. “I cannot wait to make it to Hollywood and to prove Simon wrong that I am … America’s Next Top Model.”

The boys next door
The men who made it through to Hollywood fit the same mold. All seemed very humble and happy just to have a chance, with nary a complaint to be heard.

Prior to appearing before the judges, contestants must sing for producers. And anyone who doesn’t believe that the judges have notes on the contestants would have a hard time understanding how Jason Rich made it through.

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Rich, a 21-year-old from Stout, Iowa, looks like an American Idol. He works part time on a farm for his girlfriend’s dad, so he has the perfect backstory. And he has the personality — telling the judges about his 500-person hometown and asking Randy, “You never been there?”

What he couldn’t do was remember the lyrics to Keith Whitley’s “When You Say Nothing At All.” Not once, not twice, but three times did Rich stagger through the lyrics. Finally, given a fourth chance, he remembered and was so happy that he seemed to shout them at the top of his lungs.

And yet, that fourth time was the charm. Rich made the cut, thrilling him and creating at least a temporary job opening at the farm. But Simon warned, “Jason, I would never ever give you that shot again,” so hopefully Rich learned to remember lyrics under pressure sometime between Omaha and Hollywood.

Leo Marlowe calls Charlotte, Iowa, “the smallest town in the history of life,” and the 23-year-old added, “My mom always said she raised a perfect homecoming queen — too bad it wasn’t one of her daughters.” That cracked the judges up, and his version of Leon Russell’s “A Song for You” was good enough to make it through.

“What I like about you apart from the voice is that you’re very open,” Simon said.

David Cook, a 24-year-old bartender in Tulsa, looked the part of the rocker and said that he watched Chris Daughtry’s audition to try to get an edge. It didn’t help him sing Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer” as well as Blake Lewis did on the show last year, but it was good enough to get the rocker to Hollywood.

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