The second time OU student Caleb Brown stood in front of Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr., he left carrying what he came for: a golden ticket to Hollywood.
Brown, a broadcast and electronic media sophomore, auditioned for “American Idol” for his second time in Oct. 2014, traveling to Minneapolis in order to face the judges and earn his spot in the Hollywood round of auditions.
Brown auditioned for the reality competition show in Omaha for the first time in fall 2013, where he faced the celebrity judges but did not receive their approval to move on to the next round, Brown said.
Brown wasn’t planning on auditioning again, but when a friend in the Minneapolis area encouraged him to try again, he decided to go, he said.
“You only have so many opportunities,” Brown said. “Why not try to do something crazy, like drive to Minneapolis and audition with almost no chance of success?”
Upon arriving at the Minneapolis auditions, Brown had to advance through two levels of auditioning in front of producers before reaching the celebrity panel, he said. About 150 to 300 people reach the second round and 40 to 80 people face the celebrity judges, he said.
Brown entered this year’s auditions determined, he said.
“I had something to prove,” Brown said. “Things didn’t go so well the year before, and I wanted to finish the job, even if it just meant getting to Hollywood.”
Brown said he wasn’t nervous when he reached the final round of Minneapolis auditions.
“It was … show time,” Brown said. “I’m going to go in there, I’m going to do my thing and whether they like me this time or not is up to them, but I’m going to go and give it everything I’ve got.”
This time around, Brown got the answers he wanted: a yes from each judge.
“It was a surreal moment,” Brown said.
About a month later, during Hollywood week, Brown sang for the first time on the second day, he said. Brown estimated that for each group of 10 contestants, only about four would advance, and he was one of the many who were cut that day.
“I had a bad performance,” Brown said. “They made the right call by cutting me. I could have made it. It’s tough to come back knowing that you could have made it further, but that things just didn’t go well on the spot.”
Brown said that he was thankful for the support from friends throughout the journey. One of his biggest supporters, human relations junior Jeremiah Stinnett, said the encouragement was inevitable.
“His attitude, his positivity and all that, is extremely encouraging,” Stinnett said. “You can’t help but support this guy.”
A group of forty or more people gathered in Cate Main Social Lounge to watch the "American Idol" episode featuring Minneapolis auditions, Stinnett said. Although Brown’s audition did not air, the watched a clip of his audition afterward, Stinnett said.
Stinnett said that after Brown revealed he was advancing to Hollywood, the whole room exploded with happiness.
Brown plans on continuing to pursue music, possibly through television, even if it isn’t through “American Idol” again, he said.
“If the opportunity to do reality television opens itself up again, I will definitely take the chance,” Brown said. “Now that I’ve had an experience like Hollywood week, it really gives [me] a mental edge going into the next competition.”
Students wishing to see more Sooner talent can attend the Union Programming Board's Dancing with the Stars event at 7 p.m. Feb. 20 in Meacham Auditorium or the Mr. and Miss International OU pageant at 7 p.m. April 17 in the Lloyd Noble Center.
