Lilly Scott joins Haeley Vaughn as Colorado's great American Idol hopes

Based on the edition of American Idol focusing on Denver auditions, we declared Fort Collins' Haeley Vaughn to be Colorado's great American Idol hope. (Of course, Bikini Boy Ty Hemmerling made a different kind of impression.) But last night's episode marking the beginning of Hollywood Week (and the debut of...

By Michael Roberts

February 10, 2010

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Based on the edition of American Idol focusing on Denver auditions, we declared Fort Collins' Haeley Vaughn to be Colorado's great American Idol hope. (Of course, Bikini Boy Ty Hemmerling made a different kind of impression.) But last night's episode marking the beginning of Hollywood Week (and the debut of new judge Ellen DeGeneres) proved that she's not the only one who deserves this designation. Lilly Scott of Littleton (and the band Varlet) got virtually no face time in the Denver ep -- not always a good sign. But she basked in the spotlight last night, wowing judge Kara DioGuardi with a confident, highly individual version of "Lullaby of Birdland," popularized by Ella Fitzgerald. She easily made the first cut, as did Vaughn, whose less-than-pitch-perfect version of Taylor Swift's "Change" scored thanks to her infectious ebullience. As a result, we've got two locals to root for during tonight's group challenge. Check out Vaughn's performance below:

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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