2 Las Vegans advance on ‘American Idol’
They’re going to Hollywood.
Las Vegas native Johanna Jones earned a golden ticket to the next round of “American Idol” by auditioning in that musical hotbed of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. For Las Vegan Tiffanne LeMay, Hollywood week will mark a return to the city where she won over judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan.
During Sunday’s premiere of the second season of the rebooted singing competition, Jones, 23, bonded with Perry over In-N-Out Burger, where Jones works, and their shared ritual of eating potato chips before singing.
“I like that smokey smell of the casinos,” Jones said of her hometown. “That’s my home smell.”
Jones, who previously made it to the Hollywood round in 2016, the show’s final season on Fox, sang Sam Smith’s “I’m Not the Only One.”
“I’m telling you, it was mesmerizing,” Richie complimented.
LeMay, meanwhile, was all about Richie.
The 20-year-old brought a copy of his debut album, got him to sign it and generally gushed over the singer. Her efforts earned her a hug from Richie, to which she responded, “I’ve dreamed of this.”
After she performed “Best Part” by Daniel Caesar featuring H.E.R., all three judges voted to advance her to the next round.
“I love your sunny disposition,” Perry said. “I think you’ve got a really good voice, and now you just need to play to win.”
After a bonus episode at 8 p.m. Wednesday, “American Idol” returns to its regular time of 8 p.m. Sundays on ABC.
Contact Christopher Lawrence at clawrence@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4567. Follow @life_onthecouch on Twitter.
