Atlanta was the land of sympathy for "American Idol." We met a girl whose father was killed in a car crash back home while she was driving to the audition; an 18-year-old kid who has been living in his car for a year; a 16-year-old ninth grader; and Ryan Seacrest's parents. Feel the pain.
For some reason, nurse Amanda Overmyer, who wants to channel Janis Joplin and is likely to book Hollywood restaurant reservations saying she's Amy Lee from Evanescence, had no hard luck story. I kindamaybe liked her singing "Travelin' Band," but I'm a softie for John Fogerty tunes, especially CCR.
Brooke Helvie, the perky Miss South Florida Fair who lists singing right under god, dad and mom, was deemed the most annoying contestant ever by Simon. Clearly he has blocked all previous seasons out of his mind, lost his ability to crack wise and in a move that is his equivalent of George Costanza's "jerk store," come up with the term "bedroom audition."
  Their ears obviously bleeding from too many days of bad auditions, the judges said yes to the contestant who performed, quite possibly, the worst "My Funny Valentine" ever.
CITY: Atlanta
SINGERS HEADED TO HOLLYWOOD: 20
OF THE 20, WE HEARD: 6, including Josh Jones who cuts glass and has to audition with his back to the judges because he keeps making demonic eyes. Yea, we need more guys like that in Hollywood.
NUMBER TOLD NO ON AIR: 6
BEST SOB STORY EVER TO GET A GOLD TICKET: Asi'ah Aperson, who called her father in Missouri to say she was on her way to Atlanta only to get a call back from her brother a day later saying he had been killed in a car wreck.
SIGN THAT SIMON IS DIPPING INTO PAULA'S PILL JARS: He called Rascal Flatts' "Me and My Gang" a "very good song."
SONGS THAT DON'T WORK IN 'AI' AUDITIONS: Finger Eleven's "Paralyzer" and Fergie's "Glamorous"