Thousands line up to be the next 'American Idol'
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Thousands gathered at Heinz Field to register for "American Idol" auditions. -
Fans get ready to enter Heinz Field after being in line all night. -
From left, Courtney Gaines of Philadelphia, Asia Woods-Smith of Swissvale and Joelle Rivers of Camden, N.J. arrived at 11:30 Tuesday night to be among the first in line. -
Thousands gathered at Heinz Field to register for "American Idol" auditions.
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Thousands of would-be "American Idols" -- and a gaggle of geese -- flocked to the banks of the Allegheny River this morning. The birds were silent, but there was music in the air, the spontaneous singing of the young men and women who arrived with hopes, dreams and bottled water.
PG VIDEO: MORNING RUSHPG VIDEO: LINES SLOW DOWN"American Idol," the top-ranked television show in the U.S. for the past eight seasons, is holding auditions in Pittsburgh Friday. Registration began shortly before 8 a.m. today and continues until early Friday morning. Those who camped out overnight are positioned to audition first among what could be 10,000-plus contestants vying for a spot on the Fox network reality show.
Auditions are being held in seven cities this summer. Between 300 and 500 from each site will return within a few months to sing for the "name" judges such as Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler.
The sign-up process took about 15 minutes, and color-coded wristbands were issued to singers and their companions. They'll return in two days to audition in front of a panel of the show's producers. In the meantime, many said, sleep, followed by exploration of the city, were on the schedule.
"I've been wanting to do this since [the first season, won by] Kelly Clarkson," said Kaitlyn LaShomb, 15, of Heuvelton, N.Y. "It's just fun to be around all this."
Her family arrived yesterday afternoon and Kaitlyn and her mom, Stephanie, joined the line at Heinz Field when the area officially opened at midnight. Around 6:30 a.m., they were still surprisingly chipper, hoping to relax and perhaps visit Sandcastle tomorrow.
And for those in the back of the back, take heart. Supervising producer Patrick Lynn said "we are as excited to hear the last person as we are the first."
First Published July 13, 2011 9:12 am
