More than 100,000 aspiring singers packed stadiums in "American Idol's" seven audition cities last summer hoping for a shot at fame. Just 181 of them -- less than 2-tenths of 1 percent -- returned home with a treasured golden ticket to Hollywood in their hands.
Two of those talented hopefuls making it to Hollywood on Fox TV's talent show were Ben Honeycutt of Ringgold, Ga., and Jermaine Purifory of Cleveland,Tenn.
Mr. Honeycutt advanced to the top 96 before being eliminated in the group round. Mr. Purifory made it to the top 71 before exiting last week.
Both were picked by USA Today as singers to watch while auditions were under way, and both were listed as best bets to make the top 24 on Internet spoiler lists. Mr. Purifory's axing brought a vitriolic critique of the judging process from Entertainment Weekly writer Michael Slezak this week at www.ew.com.
Mr. Honeycutt said he hopes to use the buzz generated on "Idol" fan sites and messages boards to further his music career. He's presently writing songs and booking shows at colleges.
"I wouldn't trade the experience for anything," he said of his auditions. "I'm not bitter (about not advancing to the top 24). Ninety-nine percent of singers and musicians don't get that kind of platform to sing in front of millions of people, even for the few seconds that I did," Mr. Honeycutt said.
"There were a lot of talented people there that nobody ever sees, so I was extremely grateful that I was at least one of the ones to be given TV time."
THE ARTISTS
Ben Honeycutt, 23
Audition city: Atlanta
Judge's comment: Guest judge Mary J.Blige told him "she felt a connection" on his Gavin DeGraw song, "More than Anyone."
Born in Chattanooga, Mr. Honeycutt went to elementary school in Trenton, Ga. then graduated from Plainview High School in Rainsville, Ala. He is currently worship leader at Church at Catoosa in Ringgold.
A standout high school pitcher -- he said, Los Angeles Dodgers pitching coach Rick Honeycutt is his second cousin -- the singer gave up baseball to pursue music.
He and three Alabama friends formed Candlefuse, a contemporary Christian band that played together for six years.
"It was our 'real job' for more than three years. We were on the road over 280 days a year," he said. Candlefuse was a well-known band at music festivals, youth group retreats and summer concerts.
Mr. Honeycutt was rarely seen on "American Idol" until group day. His quintet, which abruptly became a quartet when one girl quit the show, was named Phoenix. Unlike their namesake, Phoenix went down in flames and couldn't make a comeback in time. Their struggle provided the group night drama for viewers.
"One thing I learned is it's a TV show first and foremost," said Mr. Honeycutt, laughing. "Group night's not really to showcase vocals. You're working with four people you don't know, on no sleep, on a song you don't know. Group round is created for drama, for people to crash and burn ... which we did."
Jermaine Purifory, 24
Audition City: Orlando
Judge's comment: "The best I've heard this whole audition season," -- Randy Jackson.
Mr. Purifory is a telecommunications major at Lee University, where he sings with Voices of Lee. He auditioned for "American Idol" two years ago, but didn't make it through the first round.
He returned to Cleveland, Tenn., from California on Thursday. An hour after landing at Lovell Field, he was in rehearsal with Voices of Lee.
"Jermaine is a seasoned vocalist with tremendous control, great work ethic, and outstanding stage presence, as everyone saw," said Danny Murray, Voices of Lee director.
"He told me he was really encouraged by a lot of the off-camera compliments and encouragement he was given by some of the judges."
Mr. Purifory, a jazz singer, recently won Malik Yoba's "What's on the Hearts of Men" contest for a song he wrote with Mike Kalombo called "Keep It Simple." The song will be featured in Mr. Yoba's upcoming film.
Fans can hear an excerpt online at www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xsjj8iUKogw.
In his "American Idol" video, Mr. Purifory said, "If I sing a song all right, hit every note right, but haven't connected with somebody, I didn't do my job."
Five questions with Ben Honeycutt
Ben Honeycutt recently gave the Times Free Press a behind-the-scenes peek at Hollywood week.
Q: When was the Hollywood round taped?
"The second week of January. That was six months after I auditioned, so I had to keep it on the down low. A secret that big for a small town was hard to keep."
Q: What happens once a singer gets cut?
"If you're cut, you must immediately leave the auditorium, go back to your room and pack. That night, your itinerary is slipped under your hotel door and you leave the next morning. If that happens to your roommate, you have to be ready to move and switch rooms. You are going to join someone else or someone is joining you."
Q: What's Simon Cowell like off-screen?
"I'm a Simon fan. I feel like he's funnier this year, a lot more laid back. He has his trademark, straightforward, bordering-on-rudeness style. But if you get a positive from Simon, everybody is like 'Wow!"
Q: How did Ellen DeGeneres fit in?
"She's a mixture of Paula (Abdul) and Simon. She's nice in the way she says things, but also straightforward in the way she says it. She was very honest. If she wasn't digging it, she let them know.
Q. Maybe it's the editing, but it appears judges have their favorites.
"It's a TV show, and during the whole audition process producers are looking at certain people they like and the judges know that. I'm not saying they have the top 24 picked out, but when someone hears the same names over and over, it leans that way (toward favorites)."
If You Go
What: Ben Honeycutt in concert.
When: 7 p.m. Sunday, March 14.
Where: The Colonnade in Ringgold, Ga.
Admission: Free, donations accepted.