"American Idol" auditions in Charleston

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Each year since he was 16, Shane Kindley has auditioned for “American Idol,” but he’s never made it in front of celebrity judges Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell.

He’s hoping this is his year.

“Before, I tried to create this façade of what I thought they wanted to see. Today, I was just totally myself, and it made all the difference,” said the 19-year-old UNC Charlotte student.

Kindley, who lives in Cabarrus County, was one of several Charlotte-area contestants to make it through the first round of auditions in Charleston on Saturday.

But he’s still a few steps away from the famous golden ticket to Hollywood. He’ll have to return in two weeks to sing in front of “Idol” executive producers, and if he impresses them enough, he gets a shot in front of Randy, Paula and Simon.

Roughly 8,000 people from the Carolinas and beyond lined up at the North Charleston Coliseum in the wee hours of Saturday morning to wait for their shot at stardom. Hours later, the successful contestants trickled out of the coliseum, greeted by elated family and friends.

But many went home disappointed, lamenting that they “weren’t what the judges were looking for this season.”

Some refused to let Charleston be the end of their “Idol” dreams; the dedicated were quickly making plans to travel to one or both of the final two auditions in Miami and Philadelphia.

“We get a lot of repeaters,” said senior producer Patrick Lynn. “But if they’re going to follow us to a different city, we’d really like it if they upped their game.”

That’s what Jordin Sparks did. Sparks, last year’s winner, was cut from the Los Angeles auditions before heading to Seattle, where she made it through. Lynn said Sparks worked hard to improve her audition between the two cities.

Kayla Adams of Rockwell, N.C., is wondering if she could do the same.

Adams, 16, was cut from the first round, but she said she was thinking about trying again in Philadelphia next week.

“(The judge) told us we had good voices, but I don’t know if that’s just something they say,” Adams said.

The judges also told 28-year-old Jovan Miller of Statesville he had a good voice, but the news they delivered was better. He made it through.

Miller said he’s worked as a performer before, but never as the “star.”

“I’m tired of being second. I want to be a household name,” he said.

After a long few days with little food or sleep, Brandon Grubb said he was “ready to get back to Charlotte and party like a rock star.” Grubb didn’t audition, but he was waiting outside the coliseum for his friend Daniel Austin, 19, to finish the lengthy stack of paperwork required of contestants who get through the first round.

Austin, a business major at UNCC, plays guitar and once lead the praise and worship band at Hickory Grove Baptist Christian School.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” Austin said of the audition. “I’m not stupid to think I’m the best one ever, but I see people (on the show) and I think, ‘I can do better than that.’”