SAN DIEGO -- Thousands of aspiring singers jammed Petco Park Friday for the first day of San Diego auditions for the 11th season of "American Idol.''
The hopefuls were directed to seats in the ballpark before being brought to a series of white tents on the field, where they tried to impress show producers.
Some were vetted on to later rounds of auditions, to be held in the near future at an undisclosed San Diego location, while the majority were sent home.
One hopeful reportedly left the stadium in the company of paramedics because of difficulty breathing.
An estimated 9,000 would-be performers showed up for the audition.
Many of the hopefuls spent the night outside the ballpark earlier this week in order to register and receive a wristband for the auditions. They came from throughout the state, as well as Arizona and Texas.
The last time "American Idol'' producers held auditions in San Diego was in 2007, when 12,000 people packed into Qualcomm Stadium. That session produced five of the show's finalists.
