CAMDEN — Residents from this small town say they’re proud of “American Idol” contestant Amanda Overmyer.

The 23-year-old Overmyer, who works as a nurse at Lincare in Kokomo, is one of 24 finalists out of 100,000 hopefuls who auditioned all over the nation. She auditioned last August in Atlanta.

She has been dubbed the “rock-and-roll nurse” by American Idol judge Randy Jackson.

Locals remember Amanda as a talented child.

Mary Lou Rude, secretary at the elementary school Amanda attended, described her as outward and open.

“She was a very academically talented little girl,” Rude said. “She wasn’t withdrawn.”

John Atkinson led the school’s music program.

“I just remember Amanda had a good singing voice,” he said.

Atkinson said he wasn’t surprised when he learned of Amanda’s success on “American Idol.” Out of all of his students, he said, Amanda has been the most successful.

“It’s very exciting to have a former student do well in this type of competition,” he said.

Linda Landes, Amanda’s fifth-grade teacher and childhood neighbor, said the whole town was rooting for Amanda.

“I had to laugh the other night because she still has those freckles across her nose like she did when she was younger,” Landes said.

If Amanda wins, she said, the town will definitely have a celebration.

“We’d probably put a banner up,” she said. “It’ll be a big thing — a small-town girl hitting the big time.”

Kathy Dunbar is a family friend and owner of Country Hair II in Delphi. She said the year has been magical for Amanda.

“Everything clicked like clockwork, and her talent is at its peak,” Dunbar said. “She is just bringing it.”

Dunbar said her family had been trying to get Amanda to audition for “American Idol” for a while.

“For years we suggested, ‘You’d bring something new. You’d be terrific for American Idol,’” Dunbar said.

She thinks Amanda will do well in the competition.

“She has a very strong stand-out voice,” Dunbar said. “Her deep voice grabs you and brings you in.”

Amanda has a lot of determination, Dunbar said.

“If she sets her sights on something, she’ll do well in it,” she said.

Dunbar said she might go to Los Angeles to see Amanda perform in the competition.

She admits that watching “American Idol” has become a “neighborhood event.”

“Everyone’s calling everyone,” Dunbar laughed.

Dunbar said she couldn’t be more excited about Amanda’s success so far.

“We’re just really proud of her,” she said. “She’s living the dream right now.”



Local connections:

“American Idol” airs at 8 p.m. today on FOX Network. The male contestants performed Tuesday, including David Cook, the grandson of Kokomo resident Debra Frye. Results from both nights will be revealed during a live broadcast Thursday evening.



Cook’s performance:

On Tuesday night’s “American Idol,” David Cook performed his own take on The Turtles’ 1967 hit, “Happy Together.”

His rendition was met with both praise and criticism from the judges.

Randy Jackson said Cook’s slow entry into the upbeat song made him a little worried.

“But then you worked it out and made a rock joint out of ‘Happy Together.’ Dude, it was crazy,” he said.

“If he can pull this off, he can do anything.”

Fellow judge Paula Abdul agreed.

“You rocked it, and you made something original.”

While Simon Cowell called the performance good, he criticized Cook for shouting his way through the middle.

Jackson came to Cook’s defense saying that’s what gave the song Cook’s signature rock edge.

In the end, Cowell said Cook’s rendition of the song, which he was never really a fan of in the first place, almost “made it believable.”

Jackson said to take that as a compliment.