Tim Halperin has made the Top 24 on American Idol's 10th season officially on Thursday, February 24, 2011. The 2010 graduate of Texas Christian University in Fort Worth--originally from Omaha--is giving North Texas residents something to be proud of and look forward to in the coming weeks.

In the Beginning

It was unfortunate that America didn't get to know Halperin as well as some of the other contestants.

But he made sure at least one judge remembered him. He flirted with the lovely Jennifer Lopez early in the audition process. When Lopez asked how old Halperin was, he answered with, "Twenty-three. How old are you?" She had a witty comment for him. There was also a clip of Halperin saying, "Jennifer, my love don't cost a thing," playing on the title of one of JLo's hit songs.

Hollywood Week

Halperin survived the craziness of Hollywood Week: the singing in groups, stress, and mass eliminations.

What Happens in Vegas
The 61 remaining contestants were bussed to Las Vegas where they would perform a Beatles song as part of a duo or trio. It was entertaining that many of the younger aspiring singers didn't know any of the Beatles' songs.
Halperin teamed up with Julie Zorrilla and put together an amazing rendition of "Something." Halperin only sang the first few words, "Something in the way she moves...," when judge Steven Tyler enthusiastically said, "Wow" and then Jennifer Lopez clearly said, "Love him!" The artists were seated at their respective keyboards and then they "came together" (Beatles reference) in front of the judges, who were quite pleased with their performance.

Then Back to Hollywood

The Idol contestants definitely learned what it meant to "Sing for Your Life." One by one American Idol hopefuls made the emotionally draining walk into the room for the final judgment. Some call it "The Green Mile," and others refer to it as "The Chair." Regardless, it's where they find out their fate. Some go home; others move on to the next round. The rollercoaster events, stress and hard work took a toll on most contestants--and that was clearly shown on their faces as they sat and waited.

When it was Halperin's turn to enter the room, after some initial greetings Lopez said, "I’ve always been a fan from the very beginning, and I think you actually--for me--got stronger. So whatever happens here, you really got something out of this. And we really are feeling who you are as an artist."

The tension mounted. Idol executives know that you can't just say, "You're in; you're out. Buh bye." There has to be some drama.

Halperin looked fairly serious as Steven Tyler finished with, “You know, it’s up to me and I’m sorry to tell you that…” Pause. The drama builds. The door opens and Halperin walks through the door with a huge smile on his face. He made it to the Top 24 and his friends cheered and celebrated with him.

What's Next?

The Top 12 guys will sing Tuesday, March 1 night in a 2-hour show airing at 7 p.m. CT on FOX. Voting takes place for 2 hours after the show ends. The Top 12 girls sing Wednesday night. Thursday is the elimination show.

New This Year: Online Voting

For the first time ever, American Idol will allow viewers to vote for their favorite contestants online at americanidol.com. Sponsored by AT&T, online voting begins immediately after the first performance show airing Tuesday, March 1.

To vote online during the voting window, fans should visit AmericanIdol.com and follow the directions. Fans will be required to log in using their Facebook account to access the American Idol voting page, which will feature the name and photo of each of the current contestants. To vote, fans will simply choose their favorite contestant, complete the security verification and submit their choice. After each performance show and during the online voting window, fans may cast up to 50 total online votes for that evening's performances. Only fans with a registered Facebook account in the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands will be able to cast their vote(s) online, according to Idol's website.

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