Tuesday night’s American Idol featured a trio of interesting contestants and stories that struck a chord, at least with me. Sure, there were more than three contestants vying for a place on the Idol stage, but three of these competitors really stuck out in my mind.

Young Blake Boshnak shares the same dream with his mother: make it through to Hollywood week. After eleven times singing in front of the judges (and eleven rejections), Blake says he’s going to keep chasing the dream and driving to different cities to try out. He may not have the pipes, but he’s got a lot of heart.

Another standout from the Tuesday (San Diego) auditions was sixteen-year-old David Archuleta, a young man who beat partial vocal paralysis to stand before the judges and belt out his best. He did, they loved it, and he’s made it through to Hollywood. Based on early producer comments on Idol’s Season Seven, I believe this young man will be in the Final 24. I also believe he’ll in be in the final few to compete for the next Idol crown.

Enter the last audition of the day: Carly Smithson.  A lovely young lady with a pleasant European lilt to her voice.  Paula Abdul predicted this gal would go all the way in Season Five, but then she mysteriously vanished. (It was all cleared up Tuesday night when Carly explained to the cameras that her visa paperwork didn’t go through in time, disqualifying her from the show.) Two years later, she has the golden ticket in hand again - and this time, she says she’s determined to stick around.

Three contestants who wouldn’t give up, and two of them proved how strong perseverance can be. That’s what American Idol is all about.

(You can find all the American Idol 7 posts here.)