American Idol hopeful Georgia Olivier recently auditioned for producers of the popular television show. (Photo by Kayla Enoch)
Back in 2018, local singer Georgia Olivier stood in line outside Main Street Station waiting to audition for Fox’s “American Idol” TV show. This year, she’s trying again — and skipping the line, even though it’s virtual.
This is the singing competition show’s third year of virtual auditions, which have made the experience more intimate for contestants, even though they still might be a little nervous.
“They can audition from anywhere,” says Patrick Lynn, “American Idol” senior supervising producer. “They can audition from a laptop, a phone, an iPad, you name it.”
Olivier is back this year with a Front of the Line pass — given to her by “American Idol” producers after they asked Richmond magazine for a recommended local artist. It’s the show’s way of encouraging people to audition by giving them a boost ahead of the competition, placing them in earlier slots on the day of auditions.
“I’d be kind of dumb not to take advantage of an opportunity like that,” Olivier says.
The 25-year-old assistant general manager at Brun — a whiskey and cigar lounge in the Fan — sang a jazz standard made popular by Etta James, “At Last,” and Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush” for her audition. She was inspired to sing the second song after performing it onstage with her father, Patrick Olivier, a country singer.
While her dad loves the classic country sound, Olivier headed in a different direction after discovering a Frank Sinatra CD when she was 14.
“I fell in love with jazz, and I had started to learn about all of these Black jazz musicians from the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s, and I fell in love with the sound,” she says. “That started to shape where I wanted to go with my music.”
For now, auditions continue and Olivier waits, hoping to hear in the coming weeks if she’s made it into the next round. She’s grateful for the experience she’s had so far.
“I have an incredible support system,” she says, referring to her family. “I am really adamant about surrounding myself with people who are honest with and believe in me.”
