‘American Idol': Crazy Chicken Girl Wows Judges With Chris Stapleton Cover [Watch]
Does anyone remember the "Crazy chicken girl," aka Courtney Penry, from American Idol's 2011 season? Well, just in case your memory reaches back that far, she is back on Idol this season for another unforgettable audition, which she presented on Wednesday (March 6).
Many things have changed since 2011. During her first turn on the show, Penry cried at the sight of her "love"—host Ryan Seacrest. Now, in 2019, the hopeful contestant is engaged. Sorry, Ryan!
Penry's fiance seems to take her previous crush on the host in stride. But Penry does admit her wedding planning has brought out other questionable qualities. "I don't want to be a bridezilla," she noted, but related that her hackles were raised a bit when sampling catering and cake options.
What—didn't the judges feel the same way at their weddings? "We had, like, club sandwiches delivered," mused Luke Bryan in amusement.
All personal details aside: Penry performed Chris Stapleton's "Parachute" with intense vocal runs for judges for Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie. After her first song, Bryan replied, "You know, what's amazing is you were able to do all those antics and not make me want to dig my head in the sand. Take that as a compliment, but it was a little too much."
Bryan went onto ask the other judges if they wanted to hear something else ... something perhaps more "heartstring-pulling."
Penry then performed her rendition of Little Big Town's "Girl Crush" for the judges, dialing down the powerhouse vocals a bit. After she finished, Perry asked how far she made it her last season's audition.
As it was, she made it to the group rounds back then. Penry says she wasn't emotionally or vocally ready last time.
Luckily for Penry, she has a second chance to prove herself on the vocal competition show, after scoring three nods from the judges. But unfortunately for this audition, she went without chicken noises or dance moves.
Keep checking in weekly, as we'll be chronicling these hopefuls' journeys to the top, with a focus on country music offerings!
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