'Idol' time: Mustang teen pursues dream

By Fawn Porter/The Mustang News

Singing is everything to Josh Bennett.

From performing in numerous Mustang High School choirs to auditioning for “American Idol,” Josh is determined to achieve his dream — and he isn’t about to let three famous judges intimidate him.

In August, Josh traveled to St. Louis to be one of 12,000 people to audition for Fox’s “American Idol” there.

“It was unbelievable,” he said. “A total dream come true.”

Josh, a 17-year-old junior, said during his first audition, he sang in front of 12 producers for the show.

“They (the producers and staff) made sure everyone had a chance to audition,” Josh said. For his audition, he sang the old version of “Why Do Fools Fall in Love.”

“They asked if I could sing something more recent,” he said. “So I sang ‘Tempted’ (by Squeeze).”

Josh said the contestants were lined up in rows of three, and the producers would look at them and say, “OK, you stay or you go.”

Much to Josh’s excitement, he was told to stay a little while longer.

Moving on from the first audition, Josh then performed in front of two “American Idol” executive producers. And, he made it again.

In a field now narrowed down to only 110 contestants, Josh would perform in front of the “American Idol” judges themselves — Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.

“Yeah, I was nervous,” Josh said. “But, at the same time, I was so excited.”

There they were, he said, the judges themselves, waiting to critique him and his performance. He’d seen them before, of course, not only on television, but they talked to the contestants before auditions. But, he said, he hadn’t sang in front of them.

“I was really hoping Simon wouldn’t say anything mean to me,” he said.

Josh said during the first two auditions he was less nervous.

“I just did what I do … I got up there and I sang. It’s all I was concentrating on,” he said. “But when I got before the judges, I was more nervous. I didn’t know what they were going to say.”

What they told Josh was to come back in about three more years.

Not to be dissuaded, however, Josh said he fully plans on returning next year.

“I think my age hurt me some,” he said. “The minimum age is 16.  They actually said to come back when I was a little older.”

And, as for what Simon said … “He asked me if I was serious about my audition,” Josh said. “When I told him yes, he just said ‘Oh, OK.’”

Josh’s impression of Simon made him a little less intimidating, too.

“He’s a little guy, really short,” Josh said.

Now that all’s been said and done, Josh has had the time to reflect on his performance at the Idol auditions.

“I was really shy,” he said. “I didn’t open up as much as I should have.”

But next time, he’s going to, he said.

“Next time, I am going to show them exactly who I really am,” Josh said.

And even though he didn’t make it to Hollywood — “this time” — Josh said the entire experience was “the coolest thing ever.”

“Most of the people there are really good,” he said. But then again, some aren’t.

He said some of the people he met at the auditions were outrageous — from one contestant dressed in a Spider-Man outfit to another dressed as a huge strawberry to one guy carrying around a stick horse. Josh said he hoped he didn’t come off as boring.

He said the producers and staff will do a little to punch up the performers themselves, find something interesting about them to tell the judges.

In Josh’s case, he said he made the mistake of telling one of the producers about a friend of his who used to burn Barbie dolls on the Fourth of July when they were kids, something Josh decided to do, too.

“(The producer) said to be sure and tell Simon that; he’d like it,” Josh said. Thus Josh earned the nickname of Barbie Boy. Shaking his head and smiling, he said, “that was a mistake … and then my dad brought the burned Barbies back from home.”

Also during an interview, a member of the staff asked Josh how he was going to make the judges like him. Josh told the staff member he was just going to be himself.

“Then, the guy listened to what I said in his little headset, then he told me to say it again … only to say it like this …,” Josh said.

He said the “American Idol” experience is definitely programmed for television; the producers and staff work to make it a show that viewers will keep coming back to watch.

“They want contestants that people will like and root for to win,” he said. “It is about vocal talent, of course, but it’s also about image and personality … you need to have a personality that will work on television.”

This season, Josh is rooting for a couple of contestants himself.

“Carrie Underwood, she’s the girl from Oklahoma … I hope she makes it,” he said.

Josh, who has been singing since he was about 7 years old, said his influences and many and varied. He lists No Doubt, Green Day, Stevie Wonder, Prince and Megadeth as some of his top influences. Of course, he added, there are also the MoTown greats and the “older stuff my parents always listened to.” He also said he was influenced by and loved musicals, his favorite being “Bye Bye Birdie.”

During his next try on “American Idol,” he said he’d like to try and sing “Eleanor Rigby” by the Beatles.

“I’ve never heard that on there before,” he said, and he would know as he watches the show religiously.

And, Josh also credits the high school choirs he’s involved with — varsity and jazz — as helping him prepare for a singing career.

“It wouldn’t be so bad to sing for a living,” he said.

Council turns down fee increase

By Fawn Porter/The Mustang News

Mustang City Council members rejected a plan Tuesday night that sought to turn red ink into black for Town Center.

Parks and Recreation Director Steve Hewitt offered a proposal that would have beefed up the center’s revenues by increasing rates across the board with non-residents bearing the brunt of the hike.

In Hewitt’s proposal, center members who do not live within Mustang city limits would pay about $15 more per month for their individual memberships and non-resident family memberships would increase between $25 and $40 a month, depending on the type of membership. Senior citizens would still receive a 10 percent discount after the rate increase.

Mustang residents would also see a slight increase in their center dues with rates increasing between $3 and $20 depending on the type of membership.

Members would also be asked to have their monthly payments taken directly from their checking or savings account via autodraft, thus creating a contract, or pay for six to 12 months up front.

However, the motion failed to garner the support of the Council with the entire proposal being rejected carte blanche.

Many Council members expressed their concern about increasing any of the rates, with the exception of the fee for a corporate membership.

“I won’t be a part of this and I want that to be absolutely clear,” Councilwoman Linda Hagan said.  “(Town Center) was never meant to make money.”

Hagan added Town Center was constructed to be a service to community members, not to generate revenue.

Councilwoman Kathleen Moon suggested she was OK with increasing the rate for corporate memberships, but she did not want to see resident rates increased and would not want to see contracts used.

Councilwoman Wendy Wilkerson asked about the possibility of looking at a rate for those with small families, saying families with multiple children received a break with the family rate, but families with only two people did not.

Hewitt said he’d look into a couple’s rate.

A motion to approve the rate proposal failed with a 4 to 2 vote.

The City Council also sent an item concerning swine to the Mustang Planning Commission.

Councilman Darrell Noblitt had asked City Manager David Cockrell to make clear city ordinances for zoning and the keeping of swine on one’s property. Current city codes require 40-acres to raise pigs.

Martin Thee, who owns two acres of land in Mustang, said by raising sheep and pigs he supplements his grocery bill and to find what he was doing was illegal was “upsetting.”

He ventured on to say that if he discovers that he cannot continue with what he’s doing, he will have no choice but to sell his Mustang home and move elsewhere.

The Mustang City Council sent the item to the planning commission for study.