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Once more, singer Carrie Underwood reunited with “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson and together they shared the spotlight with an “Idol” hopeful Thursday night during her home-state performance at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
“You all know how I got my start. I was but a college girl and didn’t know what I was going to do with my life. So I decided to audition for ‘American Idol,’” Underwood said, thanking the raucous Oklahoma City crowd for its support throughout her victorious 2005 run on the Fox reality TV show.
The Checotah native then surprised the audience when she introduced Jackson, who was welcomed to the stage with thunderous screams. Although Underwood claimed that Jackson was ‘just passing through,” he was actually there to conduct an audition as part of the show’s new “Nominate an Idol” option.
“Nominate an Idol” permits a family and friends to submit their nomination without the knowledge of the person being nominated. Chosen candidates are then surprised on location by a film crew and given the chance to advance to the next round of auditions.
When Jackson called Danielle Castleman,18, of Sellersburg, Ind., to the stage, she was stunned to find out that she got nominated.
“I was nominated by a friend to be on the show and ‘American Idol’ contacted my family to set up a surprise to get me flown out for the event,” Castleman said in an interview via Twitter after the concert.
“I was completely surprised and knew nothing about it until Randy Jackson called my name out.”
Castleman didn’t have a clue about the nomination she was told that the trip to Underwood’s Oklahoma City concert was actually a surprise for one of her mother’s friends.
“I thought this whole trip was for her and I was just along for the ride,” Castleman said.
Instead, the teenager winded up singing the superstar’s smash “All-American Girl” on stage as Underwood, Jackson and thousands of fans looked on and listened carefully.
“I bet she’s not nervous at all,” quipped Underwood, who smiled as Castleman started singing an impressive rendition of the upbeat anthem.
The fans were clapping alone, until the hopeful nailed the elevated chorus, then they burst into approving cheers.
“That was awesome,” Underwood said. “I gotta go. She can finish the show.”
Jackson added, “I think you’ve got what it takes to come and sing in front of me and my co-judges” and presented her with an “Idol” contestant number.
Castleman promised to return to Oklahoma City for the November “Idol” auditions.
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