Idol 95 - Haeley Vaughn

95. Haeley Vaughn

Season 9, Top 20 Finalist

It is the effevescently charming Haeley Vaughn! Ok. Hear me out first. Haha.

Yes, I somehow resent Haeley for prematurely grabbing a Season 9 slot from Tasha Layton or Angela Martin, but I admire her. I mean, it took a certain amount of chutzpah - or maybe utter cluelessness (?) haha - for a bubbly teenager to stand in front of more or less 20 million viewers and perform. No, her performances didn't quite work, but it didn't bore me to tears like, say, Lacey Brown or Paige Miles.

Frankly, I was rooting for Haeley after her Denver audition. I really wanted her to do good as soon as she stated her goal of becoming the first 'black pop-country mainstream artist'. It was interesting and I thought she could really surprise America in the upcoming rounds. After all, how can you not like Haeley? She brought a much sunnier - and yet not too sunny - vibe in her auditions.

Unfortunately, she chocked during the semifinals round. Her I Want To Hold Your Hand was both glorious and humiliating. Her voice had so much potential and she did seem to be sort of new and exciting, but the bum notes in that performance were enough to actually fill a small sinking boat.

Then there was The Climb. It was awful. Sure, it looked like a good song choice for her on paper, but it just murdered the poor girl. And even though she was as good a live singer as the original "artist", her vocals were unfortunate and that sent her packing the next day.

Her elimination, seriously, surprised me. I really thought she would be around in another week because on Idol it is often better to be terrible than it is to be forgettable - umm.. Lacey Brown? Haha. That night, my heart actually broke a little watching the shiny, happy 16-year-old trying to fight back tears while warbling her way through Miley Cyrus' song without hitting a single note correctly.

I really think Haeley could be great, but she needs years of vocal work. Personally, the judges should've given the spot to Angela Martin instead of her. Really. Given that Haeley's lack of experience - and serious need for additional polish in order to have a chance at the Idol crown - they should've said 'no' and just asked them to return for a Season 10 audition.

Favorite Performance(s): Well, I only have two choices - three if I'll include her audition. But I think her greatest moment was when she performed I Wanna Hold Your Hand by the Beatles. Yes, it wasn't good but at least she delivered it with pure delight and somehow I was hypnotized into quasi-enjoying the spectavle of a performance. Ha!

I Wanna Hold Your Hand

#94 - The Nanny