With the auditions finally over, and “Hollywood Week” officially underway, 16 year-old Rossville native Lauren Alaina was once again able to put her talent to the test Wednesday night, as “American Idol”’s group round aired on Fox.

The Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School cheerleader was able to impress the judges enough to maintain her momentum in the competition, but her group mates weren’t as fortunate.

The group round of “Idol,” which consists of the remaining 168 contestants, divides the singers into groups. As groups, they must work together to learn a song as well as a choreographed routine to perform. The catch? They all have to do so in one night.









Alaina and four other girls, known as the group “Center Stage,” decided to swing for the fences by enticing judge Steven Tyler to join them on stage for their rendition of Grand Funk Railroad’s “Some Kind of Wonderful.”

“What do you guys need?” asked host Ryan Seacrest.

“Steven,” Alaina responded.

“Okay, so you need a rock star and a chair,” Seacrest replied.

Just before the performance began, the group persuaded Tyler to take a break from his judge’s chair.

“Steven, could you come up here and sit in this chair please?” Alaina asked.



After Tyler joined the group onstage, he and the rest of the world were treated to a performance a little different from those of group weeks in the past. They attempted to win over the longhaired rocker by serenading him.

Although the performance was fun, energetic, and enjoyed by most, it wasn’t enough for the group to move on as a whole.

“It was very cute, a very cute original idea,” said judge Jennifer Lopez. “That makes this kind of hard. I hate to say it … Lauren is the only one who is going through. The rest of you, this is the end of the line. Thank you so much.”

Amidst emotions and confusion, Alaina said goodbye to her group mates.

“I made it … but none of my friends did,” a teary Alaina said.

Although she was the only one of the four who will be moving on, Alaina received nothing but support from her peers who wished her the best.

According to numerous “American Idol” fan sites, as well as spoiler sites, Alaina has not only moved on through the group round of Hollywood Week, but has also propelled herself to become one of the top 40 semi-finalists.

Idol continues tonight at 8 o’clock on FOX as the Hollywood Round continues. Next week, on Wednesday, Feb. 23, at 8 p.m., the Hollywood Round will wind down as the remaining contestants will be competing for a spot in the Top 20, which will be unveiled the following night, Thursday, Feb. 24, at 8 o’clock, where the Top 10 males and Top 10 Females will be named.

The live shows will pick up beginning Tuesday, March 1, and Wednesday, March 2, at 8 p.m. with the males and females voting on consecutive nights, where fans will be able to vote for their favorites for the first time.