At the Charlotte auditions for American Idol 2013, singer Ashley Smith received the usual blooper reel setup that we’ve come to expect from eccentric contestants, but once she started singing the judges realized she was no joke.
Performing Carrie Underwood’s “Cowboy Casanova” earned Ashley a Golden Ticket to Hollywood and a lot of praise from the judges panel.
Minaj, who renamed Ashley to “Blondie”, liked that she sang Country. Mariah called her “effervescent” and said she really, really enjoyed her. Keith enjoyed all the mixed signals that kept him guessing how it’d turn out. Randy loved that she picked a Carrie Underwood song to show her range.
All four judges gave a strong “yes” vote and sent her on to Hollywood. Watch Ashley’s performance below and then share your thoughts.