Ok, would you do this audition thing for American Idol or did you? Did anyone go or know anyone that did?...

Thousands Gather To Audition For 'American Idol'

Producers wouldn't immediately give an estimate on the turnout at Texas Stadium, but the line stretched as wide as 30 people and snaked around a fourth of the building.They sang (though not always well), waited (for several hours to be herded inside) and sometimes wilted under a stifling morning sun in the parking lot. Ice packs were given to some would-be contestants who struggled with temperatures that climbed past 90 degrees.Dallas has proven fertile ground for Idol talent before. Kelly Clarkson, the first and most successful "American Idol" winner, is from the neighboring suburb of Burleson. Nikki McKibbin, who finished third to Clarkson, is from nearby Grand Prairie.Patrick Stephens, 23, said he auditioned in Birmingham, Ala., last year only to file out "like a loser." His approach Monday was more laid back as he fiddled with an iPod like scores of other tryouts -- but instead of rehearsing songs, he watched videos of standup comedy."I don't have an interesting back story if I get picked," said Stephens, a technical recruiter from Plano.Tryouts who advanced Monday must still pass another audition in front of show executives before getting the chance to sing in front of judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson for the taped portions of the show.Tyler Hargrove, 21, won't get that chance. After learning he couldn't play his guitar during the audition, he sat in the parking lot strumming songs for other tryouts as they filed into the stadium.The University of Texas at Arlington student said he wasn't going to "sell out." He then scrolled around his open laptop to pick a new song from a folder he titled "American Idolatry.""I probably won't be here much longer," Hargrove said. "But I've got nothing to do today."Five more auditions are set in the coming weeks in; Omaha, Neb.; Atlanta; Charleston, S.C.; Miami and Philadelphia. The show returns to the air in January.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press.