The Fox Network’s show American Idol will hold the last auditions for their 15th and final season at 9 a.m. today on campus in the Union Plaza.
These auditions are a part of American Idol’s bus tour, which includes 11 destinations across the nation starting in Seattle and ending right here in Oxford.
“We are expecting upward of 1,000 people to be here for auditions, but there is no exact number, there could be up to around 3,000,” said Jessica Evans, a data entry operator working for the Public Relations office at the University of Mississippi.
“Being one of the only two southern audition locations besides Athens, GA, Oxford will definitely target many people coming from Birmingham, Nashville, Memphis, New Orleans and other large surrounding cities,” Evans said
The judges for the auditions in Oxford will be a select group of the show’s producers who decide who has what it takes to go on to the next round of arena auditions to be held in either Savannah, Georgia or Little Rock.
This will not be the first time the Idol Bus Tour auditions have been held in Oxford. In 2013, Ole Miss student Michael Simeon auditioned here at the Oxford Conference Center and made it all the way through the competition to Top 48.
This past season, Simeon took American Idol auditions for a second try and made it all the way to the competition’s top 24 and top 12 for men.
“I know people may be nervous or hesitant about auditioning, but I would just tell them to look at it this way: you can’t be any more not on the show than you already are. I would encourage anyone who is interested to go for it!” Simeon said.
To be eligible to audition, contestants must be within the age range of 15- 28 and must have 2 to 3 songs prepared in advance either acoustic or self-accompanied.
Michael Simeon became an internet sensation over a video of his audition when he sang Stay With Me by Sam Smith while he slow danced with famous singer and American Idol judge, Jennifer Lopez.
America was shocked this past May when Gary Newman, Fox Networks Group co-chief, announced to the public that this is to be the final season of the show.
More information about auditions can be found on American Idol’s website AmericanIdol.com. The final season is to premiere on Fox Network in January of 2016.
