Scene - Blogs - Tulsas Zoanette Kayden get big play on American Idol OKC episode

Tulsa's Zoanette, Kayden get big play on 'American Idol' OKC episode
Published: 1/31/2013 9:02 PM
Last Modified: 1/31/2013 9:06 PM

Kayden Stephenson was the inspirational highlight of the show.

Zoanette Patilda Johnson made it to Hollywood, and it was mostly on personality. Love you, Big Crazy Barbie!

"Big Crazy Barbie."

That's the nickname "Idol" judge Nicki Minaj gave Tulsa contestant Zoanette Patilda Johnson, Miss Z told us a couple hours by phone before tonight's "American Idol" episode featuring Oklahoma City auditions.

And I can see why the nickname was given. She is, absolutely, a smidgen cray-cray -- which probably explains why I'm a little drawn to her.

"I'm obsessed with you," Nicki told her after she'd finished singing.

"Me, too!" Miss Z said. Umm ... I think she meant to say she was obsessed with Nicki, but I wasn't sure.

Love her and all, as she was definitely a highlight of the show; but I don't think her voice is going to get her far in the Hollywood rounds.

Kayden Stephenson, however, is a different story.

The 16-year-old was the evening's tearjerker story, as he talked about having cystic fibrosis, and how his life expectancy is only 35 -- and he talked about it quite matter-of-factly. Once his parents were shown talking, I lost it.

But looking at how bright this kid smiles and sounds, and how brave he seems, you'd never know he was sick.

The judges fell for him, too, as he sang Stevie Wonder's "I Wish," making each judge melt -- including Mariah, who even said she'd want to cut a record with him.

And that, my loves, is pretty much the highlights of the show. We didn't get to see Lexi Schmidt, the 16-year-old Union High School student who is apparently going to Hollywood, too.

Instead, we got to see Karl from Joplin, who seemed really nice and everything. But a golden ticket?

He sang "I Feel Good," stomping and ... Well, stomping, really, as I'm hesitant to call it dancing. But he's probably got more rhythm than I do, so I shouldn't judge.

Anyway, after telling the judges he wanted to be "uncomparable" (not a typo), and after having seemed unfazed by the judges mocking of him throughout the audition, they sent him on to Hollywood -- with four yeses, no less. That had to be a spirit vote. But I'm all for nice underdogs, so I'll cheer him on.

Perhaps the best voice of the night was Nate, a 24-year-old from Virginia (where was all the Tulsa talent, Fox network?), who sang Stevie Wonder's "For Once in My Life" -- and did so very well. He deserved the four yeses he won.

Then there was Halie from Texas, a ventriloquist who, despite potentially looking odd on paper, considering she came in with a dog puppet on her hand, was really sweet.

Thankfully, they asked her to put the puppet down, and she had a really good voice -- good enough to get three yes-es. Randy said "no," which wasn't a surprise. But then I remember some other folks from the evening and screamed "WHY?" out loud three times.

And then there was Anastacia from Ardmore (right?), who came because God told her to audition. Now, I'm not going to discount someone when they say God told 'em something because who the heck am I to do that?

Of course, after she sang Toni Braxton's "Unbreak My Heart" (badly, by the way), "Idol" did this whole "cheap dramatization" of her being called by God, which seemed a little mean at first. I mean, c'mon, don't poke the bear, right?

But maybe they did it after she was told NO (softly, I might add), then followed her outside and recorded her childish remarks: "... I will never listen to Mariah Carey ... and I hear she (Nicki Minaj) worships the devil." Really, Pumpkin? Just a couple minutes before, you were saying how you hoped she liked your makeup.

In all, 44 from OKC's auditions made it to Hollywood -- not including Steven Tyler, who showed up in drag at the end. It was a funny little bit. But considering the hundreds who've made it to Hollywood collectively, and there's only 40 spots -- 20 men, 20 women -- to fill, we'll have to keep our fingers crossed pretty tightly for some Oklahoma representation.

So go Teams Kayden, Lexi and, of course, Matt Farmer!

Peace, love and Big Crazy Barbies ... XOXO

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Mar (2 weeks ago)

I couldn't believe that all 4 judges gave the Zoanette Johnson a yes. She was a train wreck.

One of the new judges, Nicki Minaj, she just loves everybody and everyone. She tells people, after two minutes after meeting them that she loves them. When a word is used too much on everyone it tends to lose its meaning. She doesn't across as genuine. She is very phony.

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Living Wright

While other kids were watching "The Smurfs," Scene Writer Jason Ashley Wright was tuned in to "Style with Elsa Klensch." By fourth grade, he knew he wanted to write, and spent almost three years publishing a weekly teen-oriented magazine, Teen-Zine -- circulation: 2. After earning a degree in journalism from the University of Southern Mississippi, he became the medical reporter and teen board coordinator for the Hattiesburg (Miss.) American, a Gannett newspaper. Eight months later, with visions of Elsa dancing in his head, he applied for the fashion writer position at the Tulsa World, where he began working on Aug. 3, 1998. He is now a general assignment reporter for Scene.

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