In the Big “D”, we saw quite a few talented and memorable people including a girl who was on “Barney” when she was a whipper-snapper.  Erica Rhodes sang and danced with the purple dinosaur when she was younger.  During her American Idol audition she tried to shake that little girl image by dressing as a Dominatrix, whip and all. 

Erica Rhodes at her Dallas Audition

Singing En Vogue’s “Free Your Mind” she got that golden ticket to Hollywood.  While her performance was memorable, I don’t think her voice is strong enough to go too far. 

We also got a quick glimpse of Michael Castro who’s back for another trip to Hollywood.  This time he’s going to try harder, he says.  Michael, who is a former cage fighter, is Jason Castro’s younger brother.  It’ll be interesting to see how far he goes this time.  Last year, while making it to Hollywood, he did not make it to the top 36. 

Speaking of Jason Castro, a young man who admires him is Alex Lambert (no relation to Adam).  He’s probably one of the most talented from Dallas who we did not see.   His videos have mysteriously disappeared from various websites, and this is usually a sign that he goes far. I did some digging and found him singing a Jason Mraz song.

The last stop for the Auditions is in Denver, CO.  That airs Tuesday, February 2nd at 8pm.