Preator did not return a phone message left at his home Sunday.

O'Driscoll said she began singing lessons when she was 9. She hasn't performed in plays, but she has sung the national anthem at sporting events. She also performed the first song she ever recorded as the theme for a homecoming at Jordan High School.

She plans to study either interior decorating or nutrition, but school and duties as a Zone Girl could be on hold if she becomes a true "Idol" contestant.

Tonight's show highlights the audition process, described by some reviewers as "train wrecks" because thousands of the wannabe stars who show up for the first round are simply horrible. More audition footage will air on Tuesday and Wednesday, then the show begins in earnest to whittle 32 contestants down to 12.

Viewers can vote during the process, acting as judges and eventually crowning a new "American Idol." It's a designation that has served Clarkson, who recently earned a Grammy nomination, and Studdard well.

What the show does for Fox, which charges $400,000 per minute for advertising and relies on "Idol" to boost its overall ratings, is clear. What it will do, if anything, for Preator and O'Driscoll will begin to unfold tonight.

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E-MAIL: twalch@desnews.com