'American Idol' Auditions from Wisconsin on Fox on January 26, 2011

January 26, 2011, Fox, 9 PM (ET) Milwaukee, Wisconsin try-outs for "American Idol" on October 2, 2010 sent 53 contestants on to Hollywood.

HARD LUCK STORY

The tragic back-story from the two days of try-outs back in October of 2010 belonged to a Chicago native. Chris Medina, 26, sang "Break Even" by the Script. With lyrics like "I'm fallin' to pieces" it fit his situation, as his fiancé Julianna suffered a traumatic brain injury in a car accident 2 months before they were to be married. She was in a coma for a month and a half. She is now wheelchair-bound and cared for by her mother and Chris. Chris said, "What kind of guy would I be if I walked out when she needed me the most?" He was the last contestant we saw and was one of the golden tickets to Hollywood. All the judges greeted Julianna and Steven Tyler even gave her a kiss.

THE GOOD

Other contestants who made it through included Scotty McReery, 16, with the deepest C&W voice heard during the auditions; Emma Henry, 15, of Littleton, Colorado, who sang '˜True Colors;" Jerome Bell, 27 of New York City, who sang Marvin Gay's "Let's Get It On;" Thia Magia, 15, from California, who sang "Chasin'" by Adele; Mollie DeWolf Swenson, 22, from Seattle, a blonde Harvard graduate who is a White House intern and sang "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay;" Haley Rheinhart, 18, of Wheeling, Illinois, a pretty blonde who had auditioned last year; Tiwan Strong, 24, from Chicago, who sang "Twistin' the Night Away;" Steve Beghun, a CPA, who Steven Tyler declared to be "disturbingly great in a weird, compelling way;" Scott Dangerfield, 22, a Milwaukee student teacher whom Jennifer Lopez declared to be "my favorite I've seen so far;" and Allie Jados, a rock-and-roll chick who got the word that she was going to Hollywood from her idol, Steven Tyler.

THE BAD

There were a great many rejects, including Nathaniel Jones, 22, from Mt. Zion, Wisconsin, who came dressed as a Civil War re-enactor and sang "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" in a strange, weird falsetto voice. Also bad were Joe Repka, a radio guy wannabee from Swanton, Ohio; Kody Zalewski, who caused Randy to say, "If Gaga were here, she'd run out of the room;" Jovan Raymond; Chris Kammer, who entered carrying a giant toothbrush; Mason Wilkinson, who was told to turn around and compose himself and took forever to sing, horribly; Vernika Patterson, who was convinced she was not passed through because she was too fat; Albert Rogers III, 24, of Georgia, who could not carry the tune of "Stand By Me;" and Megan Frazier, 20, of Green Bay, the city's biggest Green Bay Packers fan, who sang a Justin Bieber song in a piercing operatic soprano. At the end of Megan's audition, Randy commented on "the self-imposed opera of a Justin Bieber song" and Ryan Seacrest asked if Megan might not be the most annoying person ever.

Since 53 were passed through to Hollywood, you just know we may not have seen "the best of the best" yet, since Adam Lambert was kept hidden from view last year for as long as possible.

Stay tuned for tomorrow night's (Thursday, January 27) results.