MANKATO, Minn. - A 17-year-old student from North Mankato punched her ticket to Hollywood Wednesday night on "American Idol" on Fox.
Shelby Tweten sung "Temporary Home" by former "Idol" winner Carrie Underwood in front of Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson. The three judges all gave enthusiastic yeses after Tweten's audition.
Tweten told the judges singing makes her happy and helps her "get over so much stuff." In a taped segment for the show, Tweten said she was diagnosed bipolar in March of 2011 but said she has struggled with depression since fourth grade. She continued to say singing and "American Idol" have inspired her to stay on her medication.
"There's been times where I've had hypo-manic episodes; I'll be shaking, I will stutter, I can't control my body," Tweten said during the taped segment. "My mom will be like 'well, let's sing together,' and [singing] really helps."
The Mankato Free Press reports Tweten is a student at Mankato West High School.
After she was awarded her ticket to Hollywood on the television broadcast, Shelby looked straight at the camera and proclaimed, "See you later Minne-snow-ta! I'm going to be in Hollywood!"
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