Barry out of American Idol contention

Posted on by Jason Sandford

Jesse Barry’s golden ticket got her to the next set of American Idol try outs in Hollywood, but not much farther.

On Tuesday night’s show, Barry took the stage with a group of other performers and each performed again for the judges — Ellen DeGeneres, Simon Cowell, Kara DioGuardi and Randy Jackson. Barry didn’t get much screen time and apparently didn’t impress the judges. When it came decision time, Barry didn’t make the cut and could be seen tearing up at the result.

Barry’s brief American Idol turn has done nothing to deter the fans of her big voice. Barry, who performs with the band Skinny Legs and All, has seen cheering crowds at recent performances in downtown Asheville and in Black Mountain for the Help for Haiti concert last weekend.

In a recent interview with Xpress, Barry couldn’t talk specifics about American Idol, but she did say that the whole experience had been an eye-opener, and she wanted to be sure people knew she remained grounded.

I just want everyone to know that Asheville is my hometown, and no matter how big or whatever you want to call it, I will always end up being here,” Barry said, “because I love the people here.

Click here to see a photo gallery of Barry and Skinny Legs and All.

— Jason Sandford, multimedia editor

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5 thoughts on “Barry out of American Idol contention”

  1. who

    Hang in there Jesse. A.I. isn’t all that cool anyway. You’ll find something even better for you.

  3. Music Lover

    Has Jesse had any sessions with a professional vocal teacher? She may be misusing her voice and could ruin it as a result. She’s got a lot of raw talent and a lot of stage presence but her “instrument” might need “tuning” and cultivating.

  4. Arm Chair Observer

    I agree with Music Lover. I’ve been listening to her sing for several years now and I’ve noticed that instead of using her voice like an instrument, Jesse just wails ALL THE TIME–she’s just always topping out. There is no nuance, no surprise or magic. Like it or not, the judges saw this too. And if the locals just keep slapping her on the back with adoration, she’s never going to learn. She really may need a good musical coach to help her with her craft and her voice. And just because she’s a hometown girl with straight As doesn’t mean she’s remarkable yet. She one day might be but she’s got a long way to go.

    Also, she’s incredibly sweet in real life but this does not play at all when she’s on stage–she seems contrived on stage. There’s so much potential there but she needs a good music coach now…or maybe a different repertoire. Something’s missing…perhaps a good critical ear or two.

  5. hauntedheadnc

    The problem is most likely that she didn’t sound enough like the generic pop tarts that show prefers to feature.

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