'X Factor' USA Auditions Recap: Lillie McCloud Brings Judges to Tears in Premiere VIDEO
To kick of its third season, The X Factor used the first night of its premiere to begin weeding through the various talents that paraded in front of their judging panel.
With Simon Cowell leading the way, judges Demi Lovato, Kelly Rowland and Paulina Rubino teamed up with host Mario Lopez in order to decide the contestants' fates. As the episode progressed, one person would advance in each of the four categories- Girls, Boys, Overs, and Groups.
In a showing of solidarity, the first act of the evening gets a resounding "yes" from all four judges, allowing the 23-year-old Carlito Olivero to ride to the next round on his performance of Rihanna's Stay.
The Girls group received its first advancing contestant in the form of 13-year-old Rion Page. Although she suffers from an illness that results in curved hands and near-blindness in one eye, the young singer defiantly proved that she had vocal talents to move on in the competition. Page's rendition of Carrie Underwood's Blown Away brought her a ticket to the next round.
Boyfriend/girlfriend couple Alex and Sierra became the first couple to advance in the Groups category. The duo, both in their early 20s, scored a hit with their version of Brittany Spear's Toxic.
Lastly, Lillie McCloud provided the breakout performance of the night. The 54-year-old mother brought Lovato and Rowland to tears with her take on CeCe Winans' Alabaster Box. With four affirmative votes, McCloud moved on in the Overs category.
The X Factor will resume auditions tomorrow night at 8 p.m. on Fox.
