24 Semifinalists Prepare to be 'Idol'-ized

by Jarrett Martineau | February 13, 2008 at 11:21 pm

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The battle to be crowned the next Jordin Sparks officially begins next week.

From here on in, the tears will be flowing fast and furious as the top 24 are put through the Cowell/Abdul/Jackson ringer.

The tears flowed on "American Idol" Wednesday night as the show trimmed the competition to 24 semifinalists. They were mostly happy tears for the 12 guys and 12 gals who made the cut on the final night of Hollywood week. The winners included teen singing prodigy David Archuleta and Janis Joplin soundalike/respiratory nurse Amanda Overmyer.

Next Tuesday, the top 12 male singers are in the hot seat on the Fox talent contest, and, on Wednesday, the women follow.

The men are: Archuleta, 17, Murray, Utah; Colton Berry, 18, Staunton, Va.; Robbie Carrico, 26, Melbourne, Fla.; Jason Castro, 20, Rockwall, Texas; David Cook, 25, Tulsa, Okla.; Chikezie Eze, 22, Inglewood, Calif.; Garrett Haley, 17, Elida, Ohio; David Hernandez, 24, Glendale, Ariz.; Luke Menard, 29, Crawfordsville, Ind.; Danny Noriega, 18, Azusa, Calif.; Jason Yeager, 28, Branson, Mo., and Michael Johns, 29, Los Angeles by way of Australia.

And the ladies: Overmyer, 23, Mulberry, Ind.; White, 24, Van Nuys, Calif.; Joanne Borgella, 25, Hoboken, N.J.; Kristy Lee Cook, 24, Selma, Ore.; Amy Davis, 25, Cedar Lake, Ind.; Asia'h Epperson, 19, Joplin, Mo.; Alexandrea Lushington, 17, Douglasville, Ga.; Kady Malloy, 18, Houston; Ramiele Malubay, 20, Miramar, Fla.; Syesha Mercado, 21, Miami; Alaina Whitaker, 16, Tulsa, Okla., and Carly Smithson, San Diego by way of Dublin, Ireland.