Alesha Stelzl
Contestant #3032
Alesha has been singing since she was eight years old. She said her sound was unique and that she didn't sound like anyone else, but the judges would eventually disagree with that sentiment.
Alesha sang Celine Dion's Surrender. Her vocal stylings were odd, particularly in the more powerful sections of the song.
Simon cut her off and asked who her vocal coach was. Alesha told him that it was Ron Harris at Talent Boot Camp, and Simon noted that "someone just lost their job." (Little did he know that Ron Harris is one of Christina Aguilera's producers.)
Paula noted that she liked Alesha's voice when she wasn't trying to sing powerfully. Randy mentioned that she had the same tone as Dolly Parton, and Paula wholeheartedly agreed. Alesha didn't know any Dolly Parton songs, so Simon instructed her to learn a Dolly Parton song and come back to sing it when she was comfortable.
Alesha returned to the holding room and watched YouTube videos of Dolly Parton's Islands in the Stream. After rehearsing it for a while, she returned and sang it to the judges. With a Dolly Parton song, Alesha did much better. Simon refrained from voting because it wasn't "his" audition any more. Simon and Paula both passed Alesha through to Hollywood. Simon said, "Welcome to Dollywood."
After Alesha left, Simon said to Paula, "I hate to admit it, you were right. . . . That wasn't the ending that I wanted."
