Lakoda Rayne Voted Off “The X Factor”
The group Lakoda Rayne, which includes Wall resident Cari Fletcher as one of its members was voted off Fox's "The X Factor" on Wednesday during a double-elimination show.
60-year-old LeRoy Bell was the second contestant sent home by vote of the audience at home after the judges were deadlocked between Bell and 20-year-old Marcus Canty.
Simon Cowell told the Hollywood Reporter he believes the group, which was put together during the show's boot camp phase, was "too pretty" for the competition. “Girls didn’t like them,” Cowell said. “Groups are always difficult but I think someone like (competitor Drew Ryniewicz) is very good in that she speaks to teenagers like a teenager -- that's part of her appeal. They're a bit older, but it's the same principle.”
The group, which was Paula Abdul's final act in the competition, are optimistic about their future. "You'll be seeing Lakoda Rayne in concert everywhere," they said afterwards. Abdul through tears told the group, "The sky is the limit" for their future.
All the judges were complimentary of Lakoda Rayne's performance of Taylor Swift's "You Belong To Me" on Tuesday night's show. Nicole Scherzinger said, "I felt like I was watching you in concert" while Judge L.A. Reid was equally complimentary. "I was prepared not to like it,'' Reid said. "But once again, you disarmed me.'' But it was the audience vote that sent the group home.