These shows still exist today, as do their buzzy audition rounds, but at least in the U.S., they’re mostly pleasant and uplifting and lack the mean-spirited punch they had in their heyday. But across all eras of reality show auditions, North Texas artists have dominated the conversation.
Here are 10 of our all-time favorite auditions from North Texans:
10. Kelly Clarkson, American Idol
We can hear the collective gasps already over robbing Her Majesty, Queen Kelly “Since U Been Gone” Clarkson of her rightful spot toward the top of this list. The Burleson native and original American Idol winner has, after all, transcended reality TV fame to become one of our most cherished local celebrities.If we were ranking careers as a whole, we’d probably give Clarkson all 10 spots on this list out of respect. But we’re going off auditions, and hers apparently wasn’t even considered interesting enough to air during the first season.
Her rendition of Madonna’s “Express Yourself” (which, fun fact, was filmed at Dallas' Sons of Hermann Hall) is now available online for curious fans to enjoy. But if we’re being honest, it wouldn’t be worth mentioning if it hadn’t come from Queen Kelly.
9. Luke Wade, The Voice
The Voice occupies a weird space in the reality singing competition conversation. On one hand, it lacks televised open auditions that have provided similar shows with their most iconically unpredictable moments.What The Voice lacks in chaos it makes up for in intrigue, as all auditions are blind. Judges choose their teams based entirely on vocal talent and don’t even get to see contestants until after they’ve picked them.
Moments where all four judges “spin around” for the same contestant are rare and never fail to exhilarate fans. Dublin native and Fort Worth music scene fixture Luke Wade had such a moment in 2014. His performance of Otis Redding’s “That’s How Strong My Love Is” is considered one of the show’s best and had judges Pharrell Williams, Adame Levine, Christina Aguilera and Blake Shelton battling for the privilege of mentoring him.
Wade landed on Team Pharrell and went on to finish in sixth place.
8. Lachune Boyd, America’s Got Talent
America’s Got Talent has a broader talent show format, so singing contestants have to be exceptional to stand out from the pack of dancers, comedians, magicians and every other kind of performer you can think of.Lachune Boyd, a vocal coach from Fort Worth, auditioned in 2023 and initially earned skepticism from judge Simon Cowell for waiting until the ripe old age of 31 to pursue music. Her performance of Coldplay’s “Yellow” silenced any doubts, with Cowell calling it a “fantastic” audition.
Boyd was eliminated in the semifinals, but is still releasing music. She also continues to teach, in case you want some of her magic to rub off on you.
7. Todrick Hall, American Idol
The Arlington native auditioned in 2010 and surprised judges with an original song. While the judges were surely bracing themselves for a performance on par with “Pants on the Ground” or “No Sex Allowed,” Hall instead delivered a funny, charming number about how far he’d traveled for this opportunity and even correctly predicted “Simon’s face looking so unimpressed.”Cowell was won over in the end, though, and Hall made it to the semifinals that season. Despite finishing in 16th place, he went on to release more original music, star in several Broadway productions and TV shows and collaborate with stars such as Taylor Swift.
6. Maelyn Jarmon, The Voice
Frisco native Maelyn Jarmon’s 2019 audition for The Voice is another where all judges spun around and competed for her loyalty. Jarmon is especially notable in that her cover of Sting’s “Field of Dreams” earned chair spins from all four judges within 30 seconds.She joined John Legend’s team and went on to win the season. Though her post-Voice career was stymied by the pandemic, which she has been open about on social media, she maintains the dedicated following of fans she gained on the show.
5. Gregory and Mia Tobias, American Idol
These teenage siblings from Ennis purported to be singing “The Melody Within” from the 19th-century opera Rigoletto, but their separate parts are too disjointed and incoherent to tell for sure.After several seconds of stunned silence, Cowell simply gave them a bewildered head nod. They took the hint and walked out.
Subsequent feedback seems to have found the words Cowell was looking for, however, with YouTube comments dubbing it “the most bizarre” audition ever and claiming that the Tobiases “sound like two different Disney movies playing at the same time.”
We have no idea what they're up to now, which is probably for the best.
4. Brandon Rogers, American Idol
Brandon Rogers, who attended the University of North Texas (where he was a classmate of Norah Jones), had already made a name for himself as a background singer for the likes of Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake before auditioning for Idol in 2007.His performance of Willie Nelson’s “Always on My Mind” earned sighs of admiration from Paula Abdul and guest judge Olivia Newton-John, and Cowell declared it the best audition he’d seen that day.
Rogers placed only 12th overall, but his audition continues to make “best of” lists to this day.
3. Dalton Rappatoni, American Idol
Dallas music teacher Dalton Rappatoni auditioned in 2013 with a moody acoustic rendition of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera.”The judges praised him for thinking outside of the box with his audition. Jennifer Lopez complimented his outfit, which included eyeliner and floral shoes, and Harry Connick Jr. applauded his ability to stay true to himself and not bend to performance conventions. Rappatoni went on to finish in third place.
This just goes to show how far the program had come in being open to unconventional and theatrical performers since its early days. More on that later, though.
2. Kameron Ross, America’s Got Talent
Before singing a single note, Dallas artist Kameron Ross won over audiences with his backstory, which chronicled his journey of being openly gay and pursuing country music. He initially chose "Red Dirt Road" by Brooks & Dunn as his audition song, but Simon Cowell stopped him halfway through, the heat-stopping move from the notoriously harsh judge.
Instead of unleashing his famously scathing critique, Cowell asked Ross to sing something else that reflected him and his story. Ross obliged and sang Chris Young’s “If I Stay” a cappella. He was unanimously voted to the next round and made it all the way to the quarterfinals before being eliminated.
Ross is still active in the Dallas music scene and is a fixture at Pride events.
1. Daron Beck, American Idol
Beck, who died earlier this year, was best known in the Dallas music scene as the vocalist and keyboardist of the experimental band Pinkish Black. In 2005, however, he attained national attention when he auditioned for the fourth season of American Idol.Beck’s voice was impressive, and his rendition of Tom Jones’ “Delilah” dripped with soul, but his dark, theatrical persona failed to impress the judges. Simon Cowell telling him he’d be better off in a “weird, obscure cabaret.” Beck went on to say that he got exactly the reaction he wanted.
“The way I looked at it was as a vehicle for true ‘outsiders’ to get on TV,” he told Central Track in 2021. “It was a weird and kind of mean show back when it started, and I thought it would be hilarious to see what they would say about my voice.”
