Among the thousands waiting Saturday morning in the line snaking around Verizon Arena in North Little Rock, the two girls stood out.
In overalls, cowgirl boots, face paint, and sequined, red, white and blue hats, Eden McGhee and Hannah Shoemaker, both 18, giggled about their outfits.
Others around them warmed up their voices and strummed guitars or ukuleles, waiting to get inside the arena to audition for the 15th and final season of the television singing competition American Idol.
Once inside the arena, those auditioning waited their turn to sing to one of eight tables of preliminary judges. Though the show's judges, Harry Connick Jr., Keith Urban and Jennifer Lopez, were not in Little Rock, season eight's winner and Jacksonville native Kris Allen greeted those who auditioned.
In front of two judges, McGhee and Shoemaker sang together just like they have every morning for the past decade, they said.
The best friends chose to sing as a duet Miley Cyrus' "Party in the U.S.A.," one of the songs they used to sing driving together to North Little Rock High School. The two also choreographed dance moves to fit the song -- a shake of the head and the hips to the lyrics, "I'm noddin' my head like yeah/movin' my hips like yeah."
The girls didn't advance to the next round of the American Idol contest, but they said the experience was worth it -- even waking up early and standing outside in the 100-degree heat.
"It was so much fun," McGhee said.
Shoemaker agreed. "We came just to have fun," she said.
Emily Jo was more serious about her tryout. The 17-year-old has auditioned for American Idol three times and another singing competition show, The Voice, four times.
Standing in line, she held a sign with lyrics to the Colbie Caillat song she sang for the first round of judges: "What if I fall? Oh darling, what if you fly?" Under the lyrics, she drew a map of her journey from Asheville, N.C., to Little Rock.
Her best friend since kindergarten, 16-year-old Jami McNair, held another sign with a photo of Jo.
McNair said she remembers pretending to be on American Idol with Jo during sleepovers when they were 8 or 9 years old. McNair always impersonated Simon Cowell and tried to come up with harsh but joking criticisms for Jo.
"I've always been a singer," Jo said. "I've always wanted to write that one song that touches people. That's why I keep auditioning, I guess."
That's the attitude that Andrea Richardson said all aspiring singers should have. Many of those who auditioned wiped tears as they exited the arena, disappointed that their chance to be the next -- and likely last -- American Idol winner was over.
"You can't think that way," said Richardson, 22, who had driven from Nashville and lined up for the tryouts at 3:45 a.m. Saturday.
She said she thought one of the judges really liked her rendition of Jennifer Holliday's "And I Am Telling You," and she was asked to sing a second song. That's why she will be at the mid-September auditions in California, hoping for the coveted "golden ticket" to move on to the next level of tryouts.
"If you let a no stop you, you aren't ready yet," she said. "This is my passion. I just have to wait for that big yes."
Metro on 08/09/2015