‘American Idol’ alum Melinda Doolittle convinces teen to skip class for audition and it paid off big
'American Idol' Season 6's third-place finalist, Melinda Doolittle, recently made an appearance on the hit show. In a clip shared on YouTube by the show on February 4, Doolittle was seen looking for an individual to audition for Season 24 at her alma mater, Belmont University in Nashville. She was accompanied by the long-time 'American Idol' host, Ryan Seacrest, and the duo walked around the institution with a board that read, "Stop and sing." Doolittle urged individuals to sing and promised, "We'll send you straight to the judges." "I know you've got class, but if you have a second, anybody," Seacrest added.
While not everyone managed to impress Doolittle and Seacrest, 19-year-old Jackie Bluebird wowed them with her vocals. She mentioned she would "love to" audition for 'American Idol' and when asked if she had class, she responded, "I do, but this is more important to me." Bluebird then began singing Amy Winehouse's 2006 track, 'You Know I'm No Good'. The clip then cut to her auditioning for the judges, Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, and Carrie Underwood, as Doolittle and Seacrest watched her perform.
The episode aired on February 9, and during the judges' feedback, Bryan mentioned he loved her "vibe." He said, "I do worry about the bigness of your voice, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't want to roll the dice on you." Richie agreed with him, while Underwood added, "I feel like you can get some more air underneath those higher notes. And, maybe, should you get the chance, surprise us next time with like a big vocal song."
Bluebird earned three yesses from the judges and advanced to the next round. She expressed her shock as she said, "This is the most unexpected thing to ever happen to me." Bluebird will now compete in Hollywood Week alongside the other contestants. She took to her Instagram account on February 10 and wrote, "I JUST GOT A GOLDEN TICKET ON AMERICAN IDOL!!!!!! see y’all at hollywood week." Melinda Doolittle also shared a picture of her and Seacrest watching Bluebird perform and wrote, "Mom and Dad (@ryanseacrest ) back there watching the fab @jackiebluebirdmusic."
Melinda Doolittle has a bachelor's in Music from Belmont University. After her appearance on the reality show in 2007, she released her debut album 'Coming Back to You' in 2009. Since then, she has performed at The White House and the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame. Fans can watch Jackie Bluebird in action as new episodes of 'American Idol' air on ABC at 8 pm ET on Mondays. Viewers can also enjoy the latest episodes the next day on Hulu.
