Top 10 — New York State of Mind
Top 11/12 — Heaven
Top 13 — I Believe in You and Me
Wild Card — Edge of Glory
Semifinals — What About Love
Thursday’s Pittsburgh audition episode of American Idol featured one of the most distinctive female voices we’ve heard so far.
And it came from 25-year-old Erika Van Pelt of South Kingston, Rhode Island.
Erika told us she’s a mobile deejay, meaning she travels from town to town, and a wedding singer, though she knows that conjures up some less than flattering images.
But, look, she’s been performing for a while, attending the Berklee College of Music, co-founding an a cappella group named Soundcheck, and performing with bands, including Boston Swing and Sultans of Swing.
And she’s not totally unfamiliar with this type of competition. Back in 2006, she was named Boston’s Pride Idol.
She auditioned with “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” and tinged her performance with a touch of the blues, prompting Steven Tyler to proclaim her performance “very sexy” and “very sure of yourself.”
You can learn more about Erika at her website or in her Boston Swing profile.
Meanwhile, here’s a sample of her pre-Idol music.
“Lady Marmalade”
“Georgia On My Mind”
Top Dispatch headlines
[...] Erika Van Pelt: Big booming voice, but will the votes be there? [...]
[...] Jen Hirsh (lots of screen time recently), Lauren Gray (praised every time she performs) and Erika Van Pelt (big voice and stage presence) will survive the cuts. I’d like to think we can add Baylie [...]
[...] Erika Van Pelt: Another of the more experience gals this season. A big voice and not a hint of nerves. Ryan calls Hollywood her shining moment, but it was a performance we’ve never seen until now. And Jennifer didn’t seem thrilled with her Vegas performance. Erica should make it through, and she does. Judges’ rating: Good choice. [...]
[...] Erika Van Pelt: [...]
[...] Erika Van Pelt: [...]
[...] I’ll still stick by the prediction I made last night: Erika Van Pelt and Jermaine Jones end up at the bottom of the voting for their respective genders. And Jermaine [...]
[...] Erika Van Pelt: Kelly Clarkson or Melinda Doolittle. She says she’s had Twitter exchanges with Melinda, who’s “an alto too” and knows what it’s like to go head-to-head with great soprano singers. [...]
[...] 11. Erika Van Pelt (13): Does anyone remember how good Erika was last Wednesday night? I didn’t think so. Before Skylar took the stage in the number eight hole, I had graded Erika’s version of “I Believe in You and Me” as the best vocal of the night. Forget in it to win it. Like Elise, she needs to perform late in the show and slay whatever she’s singing to stay in the game. And it has more to do with demographics than talent. [...]
[...] Erika Van Pelt: “Being a deejay and gigging with a band for so long.” [...]
[...] Erika Van Pelt: [...]
[...] Erika Van Pelt (11): Ditto for Erika. The good news: If Elise and Erika finished 9th and 10th, as I suspect they [...]
[...] Erika Van Pelt [...]
[...] will happen: Erika Van Pelt will be eliminated, despite a fine vocal. She’ll be joined in the bottom three by [...]
[...] Erika Van Pelt Heejun Han Phillip Phillips [...]
[...] Erika Van Pelt, her new hairdo and her new look lasted all of one week on American [...]