Fire captain's daughter makes top 24 on TV's 'Idol'

The daughter of a Carson City fire captain made the cut Wednesday night on "American Idol" putting her among 24 contestants to begin performing live on the Fox broadcast next week.

Amanda Avila, 23, was one of the last two female singers standing when she beat out Jaclyn Crum, 16, in the final 10 minutes of the program.

In all, 100,000 people tried out for a coveted spot in the top 24 on American's No. 1 television program.

Avila, a siren for the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, attended the Los Angeles School of Performing Arts and sang backup for 18 months for Smokey Robinson. Last year, she appeared on the CBS talent show "Star Search." Although she won the judges' votes, she lost when the viewers voted.

According to Nielsen Media Research, an estimated 26.9 million viewers tuned in to Tuesday night's competition in its fourth season.

"American Idol," will air Monday night with the men singing, and on Tuesday, the women will sing. Wednesday night will be the first night someone is disqualified because of an audience vote.

The winner of "American Idol IV," named in May, will receive a $2 million recording contract.