'The X Factor' recap: Gene Simmons' daughter steps out

By Amy Reiter

Sept. 27, 2012 12 AM PT

You know how shows like “The X Factor” are supposed to be about giving every little girl who ever sang into her hairbrush in Smalltown, USA, and every little boy who ever moonwalked across his living room in Hard Luck City a shot at realizing his or her dream? Yeah, well, they’re also apparently about giving the progeny of world famous celebrities a chance to grab the spotlight, too – at least until the judges’ goodwill runs out.

Remember Jim Carrey’s daughter on “American Idol” last season? She made it through auditions and was eliminated during Hollywood Week. I imagine a similar fate may await Sophie Tweed-Simmons, 19-year-old daughter of Kiss front-man Gene Simmons and model Shannon Tweed, whose “X Factor” audition we saw Wednesday night.

Tweed-Simmons arrived in a chauffeured car, but apparently waited in line with the common plebes because, as she told her irritated folks, who said they might have called ahead for better treatment or at least gotten her some security, that’s how she wanted it. Of course, if she really wanted to keep a low profile, she might have come without her father, whose presence caused a bit of commotion among the auditioning throngs.

But it wouldn’t have done much good anyway. As soon as Tweed-Simmons, who said she hoped to step out of her father’s shadow and make a name for herself, stepped out onstage, but before she sang a note, it was clear she wasn’t just one of the crowd.

Demi Lovato apparently knows Tweed-Simmons’ older brother, Nick Simmons, and immediately ID’ed her as “Gene Simmons’ kid.”

Asked how her parents, huddled backstage, felt about her audition, the privileged progeny said she’d basically sprung the idea on them the day before, and they weren’t very happy about it. Then she sang a so-so version of Adele’s “Make You Feel My Love,” which made three out of the four judges (L.A. Reid was not terribly impressed) feel the love.

With a little more control, Lovato said, Nick’s kid sister could be “really, really great,” adding that there was “something special” about her. Britney Spears said she had an “amazing” voice. And Simon Cowell praised the way Tweed-Simmons had put her own stamp on the song. Reid, however, complained he “didn’t quite get the chill bumps” he wanted. He was her only no, though Cowell followed his yes with a paternal-sounding warning: “Sophie, a lot of practice for the next part.”

Backstage, contestant Tara Simon -- who also made it through, despite dissing Christina Aguilera (which seemed to please L.A. Reid) and threatening to unseat either Spears or Lovato at the judging table (which seemed to please none of the judges, least of all Spears and Lovato) – was seen asking another contestant whether she thought she’d have made it through with that audition if she weren’t Gene Simmons’ daughter.

“Probably not,” the other contender admitted it.

Oh, well. No one ever said the X factor wasn’t genetic.

Other interesting auditions (among many successful contenders) included …

Dinah Jane Hanson: This 15-year-old student from Santa Ana, Calif., lives in a house with more than 20 family members and is hoping to do them all proud. She digs deep into “If I Were a Boy,” imbuing it with an impressive grit and growl. “You took that thing to places even Beyonce didn’t take it,” Reid says. “That was unbelievable.” Spears felt “a connection,” and Lovato got chills, predicting she’d buy Hanson’s music someday. Reid also looked into the future, saying, “I predict that you will be one of our finalists.” Four yeses.

Arin Ray: This 16-year-old from Cincinnati auditioned as a solo artist last year, and was put into the quickly eliminated Disney-esque kid group Intensity. Now more grown up and more confident, he’s returned to make another play as a solo contender, singing an original song that sounded sort of monotonous to me, but apparently not to the judges. “I liked you last year -- I like you even more this year,” Reid enthused, adding, “You embody X factor all day and night.” Spears said Ray was “a true star.” Lovato found his confidence “really, really, really hot.” And Cowell declared him to be “a different person.” Four yeses.

Austin Corini: This average-looking kid with peroxided, peaked hair is presented to us as a possible successor to Justin Bieber or One Direction, perhaps because a couple of giggly preteen girls asked him to autograph their arms before he auditions. His take on “Wanted” pleased Spears very much – “amazing voice … I love your hair” – and the other judges somewhat less so. “You’ve got to be remembered not for your hair but for your voice,” Cowell warns. Nevertheless, cue the screaming girls: Corini gets four yeses.

David Correy: This sparkly-eyed fellow from Riva, Maryland, is hoping his audition will somehow help him make contact with his birth mother in Brazil, who gave him up for adoption when she was only 14. His “Just the Way You Are” certainly helps him make contact with the judges. Spears likes his stage presence. Reid likes his upper register. Everyone likes him enough to “yes” him on to Boot Camp.

Daryl Black: At 37 – and with a wife and five children – Black, a professional musician, has some experience under his belt. He tells us he wants to provide for his family, but charms the judges (particularly Lovato) by telling them he’d buy “a big unicycle” and “some leather shorts” if he took home the show’s $5 million prize. Then he charms them again by singing “Stereo Hearts.” Reid tells him he has a “golden voice,” and Cowell compares him to Michael Buble and Nat King Cole. Four yeses, and this from Cowell: “That’s who I want to give a yes to -- people like that.”

The show also brought us memorably bizarro performances including …

Changyi Li: This 52-year-old sailor-suited woman, originally from China, tells Cowell she’s not yet married because she’s picky (so’s he, he says) and then sings “My Heart Will Go On.” “The good news is if they ever remake the film, you could replace the iceberg. Just sing the song and down it goes,” Cowell snarked, informing Changyi after she thanked him, that it “wasn’t a compliment.”

Jaime: This overly-enamored-with-each-other engaged couple sing an original song that’s dismissed as “cheesy” and “cabaret” by the judges, giving cheesy cabaret acts everywhere an unfairly bad name. But far more offensive than this couple’s song is their over-the-top mutual admiration. Every day, they wake up and just stare into each other’s eyes for about 15 minutes. Aw … ew.

The show also left us with a cliffhanger: Trevor Moran, a cute kid who makes YouTube videos, is shown passed out just before he’s scheduled to take the stage. Will Moran be OK? More on that tonight ...

What did you think of Wednesday night’s auditions?

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