By Mark Ambrogi
Kendall Phillips’ main mission in auditioning for “American Idol” was to meet country star Keith Urban, one of the three judges.
The 2007 Zionsville Community High School graduate not only got to check that off her list, but she also earned a golden ticket to advance to Hollywood.
“Now it’s mostly about the exposure,” Phillips said, adding that she had 25,000 Facebook interactions the day after appearing on the Jan. 6 show.
The episode showed her getting the golden ticket and talking to Urban. The producers told her that the performance might be aired during Hollywood week.
“The goal is to win, but that’s super in advance,” Phillips said.
This will be Phillips’ second trip to Hollywood on “American Idol,” as she also made it when she was 16 years old in Season 5 in 2006. This season will be the last for the show.
The country singer, who turned 27 last month, auditioned in Denver, singing “Girl Crush” by Little Big Town. There were several rejections before she auditioned, so she admitted waiting was nerve-racking.
“I was happy with whatever verdict they gave me, but when I sang I was really happy with my performance,” Phillips said. “Then the judges told me how impressed they were. Harry Connick Jr. said it was the best he ever heard someone sing ‘Girl Crush.’ The more they gave their feedback, the more confident that I got.
‘American Idol’ does have a platform unlike any other that they can offer to help those artists on the show. When I was on ‘Idol’ when I was 16, Simon (Cowell) told me to give it about 10 years and you really will be an artist that is noteworthy, so that meant a lot to me. To come back 10 years later and have them be so impressed with me, it really did mean a lot.”
Phillips said she bounces between living in Zionsville and Nashville, Tenn.
“I tour across the country pretty much consistently,” Phillps said. “I do a lot of festivals, fairs and races.”
