In a crowd of thousands Jacquelyn Dupree of Summit found a way to stand out during her “American Idol” audition in New Orleans.
Dupree was one of more than 30 contestants chosen in New Orleans to move to the next round of auditions in Hollywood, Calif. Her audition aired Thursday night in the opening week of the show’s 10th season.
When Dupree, a 2004 graduate of Parklane Academy, found herself in front of “Idol” judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, she handed Jackson a surprise — some photos of him taken in high school in Baton Rouge.
Turns out Dupree’s uncle, Jerry Wilkinson, was Jackson’s high school coach, and Wilkinson made an appearance on the show for a brief coach-student reunion.
Dupree, daughter of Tom and Jacki Dupree of Summit, auditioned with “I’ll Stand By You,” written by Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders.
The 24-year-old is a 2009 graduate of the cosmetology program at Southwest Mississippi Community College and is a former stylist at Malibu Hair Spa in Summit. She moved to Baton Rouge in September.
Reached in Louisiana this morning, Dupree wasn’t doing any singing — she has bronchitis. She’s already taped the Hollywood rounds, and they’ll be broadcast soon.
In an “Idol” interview, Dupree said she wasn’t sure she wanted to audition, but friends encouraged her.
“I finally said, ‘why not? The worst they could say is no,’ ” Dupree said in her interview posted online at www.amercianidol.com/videos.
“I never really thought I was good at singing until my aunt heard me when I was about 10 years old,” Dupree said. “I was singing along to ‘The Lion King.’ ... She had to pay me a dollar because I was so shy I didn’t want to sing in front of her. I stood behind the door with my back turned.”
As with all chosen contestants, Dupree had a touching background story.
“The person who inspires me the most has always been my mother,” Dupree said.
In 2002, Jacki was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. She went into remission but is fighting it again.
“It’s definitely been a struggle. It’s helped me be a better person watching to see what she’s going through,” Dupree said. “She’s still smiling and fighting.”
She also has confidence in her abilities.
“I’m the next American Idol because I love singing,” Dupree said in the online interview. “I consider it a gift and a blessing. It’s definitely a passion I’ve had all my life. I’m really looking forward to this experience. I think I can do it.”
And though she can’t discuss specifics of her time in California with the show, she said it was an experience she’ll never forget.
“It’s so cool to see how many people actually do watch the show,” Dupree said today. “Anything can happen. I never thought this could happen to me. It’s definitely been something that I’m proud of. I feel loved by friends and family and appreciate their support.”
