Author: Cortney Wills

Richard Ellis / FOX

Carlos Guevara

Demi Lovato, Kelly Rowland and Simon Cowell tackled the first part of X Factor’s Charleston audition stop sans Paulina Rubio, who was away at a concert. South Caroline brought out plenty of groups, most of whom Cowell called “old fashioned” and “corny.” It was slim pickings on Backstreet Boys wannabes, and Cowell seemed super annoyed by it.

Even the consistently composed Ms. Rowland couldn’t help but cringe at some of the painfully bad notes struck by a sister duo singing The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back.”

Said Cowell: “It was like a competition as to who could sing the worst and you both win! I think this is one of the worst groups we’ve ever had.”

Luckily, one trio grabbed the judges’ attention for the right reasons. AKNU, comprised of the three brothers from South Central, were old-fashioned in a good way. They even kicked off with a quirky dance routine that could’ve come straight out of a Bruno Mars concert. It scored them some serious cool points.

PHOTOS: ‘X Factor’s’ Emblem3 Performs at L.A.’s Roxy Theatre

“It’s like watching Motown all over again. Normally, that’s the part I hate but I think you may be on the  forefront of something new here,” Cowell commented. ” I actually could watch this whole audition all over again. I love it that much.”

It was then that a cavalcade of talented teens took the stage and wowed the panel.

Josh Levi, 14, showed some serious swagger that had the ladies sitting front and center bumping and grinning all through his performance of Selena Gomez’s “Come And Get It.”

“That was amazing,” exclaimed Lovato. Rowland was ecstatic too.”You are a star. Hands down,” she said. “There’s nobody like you. You are… yes!”

Danie Geimer, a 15-year-old California girl who claims to spend most of her time reading alone in her bedroom, brought the house down with her version of “The House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals. Nobody expected such a big and unique voice to come from the seemingly shy girl, but once the bespectacled hopeful lost the hat and shook out her hair, it becomes evident this wallflower is a knockout in disguise.

STORY: ‘X Factor’ Premiere Recap: Kelly Rowland, Paulina Rubio Make Their Judging Debuts

The most compelling contender of the night was sixteen-year-old Carlos Guevara. His story went from heartbreaking to heartwarming in a snap thanks to his amazing voice and a huge group of true friends. The teen recently had to leave school because of the debilitating “ticks” caused by Tourette Syndrome and OCD. “I have motor and vocal ticks which make me move a little weird sometimes,” he said. “They tried every medicine in the book and all that could help me was music.”

The audience was reduced to tears hearing his soulful rendition of John Mayer‘s “Gravity.” The girls gave him a standing ovation and Cowell praised his strength. “You’ve actually got a great voice,” he said. Rowland was equally in awe of the musical miracle. “I’m just so grateful that I’m here to witness this and witness you,” she said.

Brandie Love, 21, was mild mannered when she hit the stage but morphed into a powerhouse the moment she started singing “Up To The Mountain.”

“You have The X Factor!” declared an excited Rubio.

Jeff Gutt, 37, returned after being booted from boot camp last season. The single father is back with his adorable little boy and hoping to make it further this time — perhaps right into the final 10. Cowell doesn’t like his take on Aerosmith’s hit, “Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing” and is “really disappointed” with the audition. He got a second shot and chose a much better song, Radiohead’s “Creep,” which could catapult him to the winner’s circle.

The night’s most exciting moment, however, came courtesy of two sassy hairdressers who weren’t going for Cowell’s guff. “Don’t look at me like that,” said the female contender after her horrendous audition prompted Cowell’s glare. “Not a note in tune,” he quipped. That’s when she took matters into her own hands — marching down to the judges table and smooching Simon Cowell’s neck and face in hopes of swaying his vote. The red-faced Brit wasn’t going for it, but it sure was entertaining to watch him squirm.

It’s still early on in the competition, but who do you think has the goods? Have your say in the comments…

Twitter: @TheLiveFeed

Ray Mickshaw / FOX

The X Factor auditions arrived at USC’s Galen Center this week and it looked like judges Simon Cowell, Paulina Rubio, Kelly Rowland and Demi Lovato had their work cut out for them.

While most would expect a strong showing from the people of Tinseltown, the L.A. auditions were disappointing in comparison to talent found in South Carolina and New Orleans.

The success of last season’s standouts, Emblem3 and Fifth Harmony, have brought a bevy of hopeful groups into the fold. “What I’m seeing a lot of is groups being put together by some very old people who last saw a boy band 20 years ago,” said Cowell. “So there is nothing spontaneous, nothing natural. They are dreadful.”

During Thursday’s auditions, the head judge clearly had no patience for contrived acts and always asked groups how long they had been together and who was behind it.

Another new trend this season is the rise of Latin contenders, thanks in large part to the influence of new judge Rubio. “We wanted that,” Cowell explained. “I always felt that the Spanish market was really important. I would love some Spanish artists or one great Spanish artist for the label and so Paulina has been this beacon and they’re all attracted to her.”

PHOTOS: Behind the Scenes With Simon Cowell’s Right-Hand Woman

Rubio’s self-described “spice” was a perfect compliment to Lovato’s quippy comebacks and Rowland’s cool composure. “We have four completely different personalities,” she said. “The four of us have a great sense of humor and a lot of knowledge about music and hits and songs and being on stage. That’s why we’re here.”

Now outnumbered by the ladies, Cowell insists he couldn’t be happier with his new panel. The ladies had fun ganging up on Cowell and at one point; Rowland took the stage to “twerk” it out. 

But most of Thursday’s auditions was devoted to dishing out bad news to the not-so-talented hopefuls.

As usual, Cowell didn’t mince words when he’s less than impressed. “I think you would be a really great group if none of you were in it,” he told one particularly peculiar pairing. “The rap was ridiculous. It’s like a cat barking.”

Rubio’s critiques in her own brand of broken English were a little harder to interpret. At one point, she told one talented teen, “You remind me to Mercy Gray,” and later, “You’re like pop rocks with vinegar.” That’s either a great compliment or a painful put-down, depending on your translator.

OPINION: Simon Cowell’s Estrogen Overload: Judging the New ‘X Factor’ Panel

Rowland’s judging style was tactful, but honest, but the sexy singer said she’s still holding out hope for the right girl group to take the stage. “I’m waiting for the right one,” said Rowland, who made her name as a member of Destiny’s Child.

Thankfully, there were some standout moments from some stellar singers who brought the crowd to their feet and moved judges to tears.

One especially excellent showing came from a talented 13-year-old with big hair and an even bigger voice. “I want to look in your throat and see if there’s a tiny person in there singing,” said Rowland after the explosive audition brought the house down.

If one thing is clear about the estrogen-heavy panel, it’s that they’re giving extra “cute” points this season, as a few vocally challenged, but adorable contestants slid by despite Cowell’s protests.

With one day of auditions remaining, the ladies offered advice for future contenders. “Don’t sing an original song,” urged Lovato. “Most of the time, it’s not good.”

Spoken like a true judge.

Twitter: @TheLiveFeed

The days of dreary Divas shows are over. Since the show’s debut in 1998, Divas has benefited the Save The Music Foundation by honoring divas of the past and present.  After a five-year hiatus from 2004-2009; the show returned with a revamped image that appealed to a much younger crowd.

PHOTOS: Madonna: Iconic Career and Life in Pictures
 
Sunday’s show aired live for the first time in three years and was packed with powerful performances and delicious dance moves. Celebrities like Elisha Cuthbert, Ellie Kemper, Nene Leakes and Kelly Osbourne clamored into The Shrine in Los Angeles Sunday night to celebrate the divas of dance music.
 
Host Adam Lambert was on double duty leading the pack of superstars paying tribute to divas like Madonna and Blondie, while honoring two departed divas, Whitney Houston and Donna Summer.
 
Kelly Clarkson debuted her new ring and her new song, “Catch My Breath” before Ciara set the stage on fire with an Michael Jackson dance tribute to “Billie Jean.” Kelly Rowland, Keri Hilson and Adam Lambert joined forces to honor Donna Summer with a medley of her songs like “Last Dance” and “ Bad Girl.”

STORY: Adam Lambert Brings the Glam; Miley Cyrus Surfs Crowd, Grabs Crotch at ‘VH1 Divas’
 
Next, some newer tunes came from Metric as well as Demi Lovato and British import, Paloma Faith. Miley Cyrus gave a punked-out performance of Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell,” crowd-surfing her way to the stage and delivering a surprisingly successful set. Next, Bootsy Collins was joined by British bombshells Natasha Bedingfield and Iggy Azalea for their rendition of “Groove Is In The Heart.” Lambert gave his third performance of the night with his rendition of Madonna’s “Ray of Light.”
 
Jordin Sparks led a touching tribute to Houston with her version of “I’m Every Woman.”  She was joined by Melanie Fiona and Ledisi for their performance of “How Will I Know” before Pitbull closed the show with “Don’t Stop The Party.”
 
The show’s fast-pace and dynamic line-up made for an entertaining night of unlikely mash-ups. Vh1’s new formula of having divas-in-the-making paying tribute to the big girls went off much better than prior efforts to get divas like Diana Ross and Aretha Franklin to carry the whole show.
 
Even if you caught Sunday’s live broadcast of Divas, there were tons of moments you missed that went on behind the scenes. Here are 10 things you didn’t see on TV:

1. The host with the most, Adam Lambert, enjoyed his experience at the helm. “Usually when these events happen, you do one thing and you’re done and it’s like being shot out of a cannon,” he told THR. “But the way Divas was structured, I really got to enjoy myself and get comfortable. It was really cool.”
 
2. Paloma Faith admitted that she doesn’t listen to any of the other performers’ music. “I don’t really know who any of the other performers are because I live in a time warp. I’m not really that big a fan of modern music even though I am part of it,” she said.

STORY: Adam Lambert on Hosting ‘VH1 Divas’: ‘Men Are Divas, Too’
 
3. NKOTB’s Jordan Knight got mistaken for Adam Lambert by a reporter. “She called me Adam! She thinks I’m Adam Lambert! I made Adam Lambert,” he said.
 
4. Glee’s Amber Riley was blown away while watching Ciara’s dance tribute to Michael Jackson from the green room. “Oh My God! She went all the way down! Whose child is she?!” she said.
 
5. NeNe Leakes complained about the not-so-sunny California weather. “They lied! When I moved out here, they said it only rains twice a year and it rains every damn day up here to me. It’s super cold,” she said. “The songs about Sunny California? No, honey. It’s cold California.”
 
6. Stacy Keibler held court at the green room bar, chatting with friends and sipping cocktails.
 
7. Jason Derulo waited in the wings for his leading lady, Jordin Sparks, while she was onstage performing her tribute to Whitney Houston.

8. The purple carpet was buzzing about Jenna Dewan Tatum’s maybe-baby bump when she showed up in a questionably concealing dress and repeatedly rubbed her belly while chatting with reporters. (On Monday, she and husband Channing Tatum confirmed that they were expecting.)
 
9. Iggy Azalea gushed about Miley Cyrus before the show. “I’m so excited to see Miley Cyrus perform! I want to see her tribute. She’s got some kind of spark and energy going on right now that I’m really into.”
 
10. The Shrine was transformed into a celeb-studded club scene for the after party. Jordin Sparks hosted the post-show bash where guests indulged in signature cocktails and snacked on cheeseburgers and cupcakes. The cast of VH1’s Hollywood Exes hit the dance floor hard, while onlookers watched from the comfy couches on the sidelines.