Another blazing hot Dallas summer morning didn't stop more than 10,000 hopeful singers in getting their shot to wow the judges at auditions for season nine of American Idol at Cowboys Stadium on June 26.

Hopefuls came from near and far; some from down the road in Arlington to all the way from Missouri. All were enthusiastic and determined to get past the “producer round,” where every person registered gets a chance to sing for Idol producers and are given either a “yes” or “no” to continue on to the next round - which will be in August - where they will sing for the Idol judges.

Idol supervising producer Patrick Lynn held a short press conference for the media around 7 a.m.; he answered questions about the audition process and how the day would go.

After being asked what the producers were looking for, Lynn said originality was the first and foremost quality that would get Idol wannabes through to the next round. The word passion was also mentioned, but Lynn went on to add that passionate singers don’t necessarily have to be good singers.

“Good entertainment is good entertainment,” Lynn said.

Translation: It was clear this was his way of clarifying that those, like in past seasons, who act as if they believe they are talented, along with those who make a spectacle of themselves are just as fun to watch as those who actually have talent. (AKA justifying letting those who stink pass the prelims for comedic purposes)

One such example of the crazed and overly confident was Jackson Savarese of Arlington, who was dressed in a bright yellow chicken suit. He called himself “The Songbird of his Generation,” and to match his outfit, his song of choice was “I Believe I Can Fly.” Don’t be surprised if he makes it on to the Idol coverage of Dallas auditions.

Another standout hopeful was Brady Passon of Waco, a wavy-haired Baylor student with Zac Efron appeal and John Mayer charisma. He played the guitar, except his songs weren’t exactly “Your Body is a Wonderland.” Passon instead entertained neighborsgo staff by singing a melody of songs you’d hear on K104, DFW’s hip-hop and R&B station, such as “Low” by Flo Rida and “It Wasn’t Me” by Shaggy. He even tried to make up a song about neighborsgo, and serenaded us with his own rendition of Britney Spears’ “Toxic” upon our request.

Ironically enough, K104 invited Passon to come over and sing his mix on the air, as they were broadcasting live from the Idol hopeful sidelines.

After hearing more than a dozen people belt their stuff, between the monkey (or chicken) business and the humid temperatures, it was evident that there is some real talent and personality, to say the least, here in North Texas.

We will have to wait until January to see how Dallas talent holds up against the competition in Los Angeles, Orlando, Chicago, Boston, Atlanta and Denver. Good luck to all that auditioned!

I am a Reporter/Assistant Editor with neighborsgo and can be reached at 214-977-8872 or via e-mail at kekirkham@neighborsgo.com. Got a story, photo or video you'd like to share? Post them directly on neighborsgo.com. Got a story idea? Send it to me directly. For more about how neighborsgo.com works with our neighborsgo print editions, please visit neighborsgo.com/help.