Los Angeles-area singers take note: Simon Cowell is coming to your city.
The former American Idol judge will bring his search for the next superstar on the road to L.A. March 27 for the first stop on The X Factor's audition tour.
Solo artists and vocal groups over the age of 12 can attend Sunday's open call at the L.A. Sports Arena. In order to audition at the venue, wristbands must be obtained the day prior to the tryout.
Cowell and his first appointed judge, former Island Def Jam record executive Antonio "L.A." Reid, will also hold auditions in Miami, Newark, N.J., Seattle, Chicago and Dallas through May 25. Official announcements regarding the panel's other judges and host will be made at a later date.
What will it take to impress Cowell, who was once dubbed "Mr. Nasty" during his Idol days?
"I'm looking for somebody who in the real world can be a stand-alone artist and can go toe-to-toe with Katy Perry, Justin Bieber [and] Lady Gaga. What I'm trying to do is rip up the rulebook on this and anyone who is interesting or talented has got a shot," Cowell tells UsMagazine.com.
"You've got to be as open minded as possible. I don't have any issues if a 50-year-old wins over a 16-year-old," he continues. "At the end of the day it's the public who are going to vote. And it's going to be a combination of popularity, star power, talent, so I'm open-minded on this show."
For more information on The X Factor's audition tour, check out FOX.com.
By Allison Corneau for UsMagazine.com. For more Channel Surfing, click here.
