WECT TV6 - WECT.com - Wilmington, NC news and weather - Wilmington cheers; judges pan local Idol contestant
Member Center:
Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell weren't impressed by Mather Tuesday night
Sarah Mather
Mather performs Tuesday on American Idol
Cape Fear Community College graduate Sarah Mather got a big taste of the spotlight Tuesday night when the Fox television show "American Idol" hosted its first live competition of the season.
Mather is one of 24 finalists, 12 men and 12 women, competing to be the American Idol.
Tuesday night the Charlotte native, who now lives in Wilmington and is well-known in the local music scene, chose to showcase her talent with the Temptations' classic hit "Get Ready." How well she performed depended a lot on who you asked.
Mather got a rousing response at Hollywood East Cinema Grill in Wilmington. That's where about 40 people showed up to watch her on the big screen in a party, hosted by WECT and Fox 26.
Many of Mather's fans got out their cell phones to vote for contestant number five right after the show.
Henry Sneed knows Mather personally, and came out Tuesday to show his support. Mather sang backup for Sneed in the Port City All Stars. Sneed and others say she's got what it takes.
The judges on the show weren't as optimistic. Paula Abdul said the song was better made to be performed by a group, and did little to showcase her talent. Simon Cowell took it one step further, saying Mather failed to make a good first impression in the first live show, calling her performance "forgettable."
Luckily for Mather, the judges don't pick the winner from this stage on, the television audience does. For two hours after the show viewers could call a hotline to voice their opinion on who stays and who goes.
Tune in to our sister station, Fox 26, Wednesday night at 9:00 to see if Mather makes it to the top 10 women finalists. We'll also have the results Wednesday night on News 6 Nightcast at 11:00.
