Alexis Cohen

Alexis Cohen (October 17, 1983 – July 25, 2009) was a two-time reality TV show contestant and singer on American Idol made famous when she directed an expletive-filled televised rant at the show's judges,[1] after comparing her singing style to vocalists Grace Slick, Janis Joplin and Pat Benatar.[2] She was called Glitter Girl in the press.[3][4]

Alexis Cohen
Cohen auditioning on American Idol
Born(1983-10-17)October 17, 1983
Brooklyn, New York, United States
DiedJuly 25, 2009(2009-07-25) (aged 25)
Seaside Heights, New Jersey, United States
OccupationStudent, singer

Education

Cohen was a graduate of East Stroudsburg North High School and attended Montgomery Community College and studied to be a veterinarian.[5]

Singing career

Cohen's first audition on American Idol was in 2008 during Season Seven in Philadelphia, where she sang "Somebody to Love" by Jefferson Airplane. All three judges voted "no," eliminating her from the competition.

Cohen returned for a second audition in 2009 for Idol‘s Season Eight in Boston, singing the Madonna song, “Like a Prayer”.[6] She again reacted negatively on camera after judge Simon Cowell called her performance "horrendous."[7]

Cohen's performances on American Idol brought her a measure of fame,[8] so much so that her death was covered by sources including People Magazine,[9] Entertainment Weekly,[10] MTV,[11] Rolling Stone,[7] ABC News,[12] and The New York Daily News.[13]

Death

Cohen was struck by a hit and run driver in Seaside Heights, New Jersey in July 2009. Her body was found by two passersby along a road about 4 a.m. Paramedics performed lifesaving efforts before they arrived with Cohen at Community Medical Center in Toms River, N.J., where she was pronounced dead at6:35 a.m.[13]

Daniel Bark, aged 27,[14] was later arrested and indicted for drunk and reckless driving, manslaughter, and leaving the scene of an accident.[15][16][17] Authorities later reported that Bark, who had a previous 2004 DUI conviction, was fleeing police when he struck and killed Cohen after failing to stop when a bicycle patrol officer ordered him to do so.[18] Bark in November 2011 accepted a plea agreement and pleaded guilty to eluding police and drunk driving. Prosecutors dismissed manslaughter and other charges in the deadly traffic accident. A judge had quashed Bark's confession because police failed to advise him of his rights.[19]

Personal life

Cohen lived in Allentown, Pennsylvania with her mother, Mindy Dallow.[20][13]

References
  1. https://web.archive.org/web/20100819070815/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8170173.stm
  2. "Idol hopeful killed in Ms nam I'd francisaccident". BBC. 2009-07-27. Archived from the original on August 19, 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-16.
  3. "American Idol Glitter Girl Gets A Makeover". OK! Magazine. Retrieved 2010-09-04.
  4. Diane Macedo (2009-01-30). "Idol Ends Auditions With a 2-for-1 Special". Fox News. Archived from the original on 2011-02-04. Retrieved 2010-09-07.
  5. Sarah Cassi. "Alexis Cohen, 'American Idol' contestant from Allentown, found dead in New Jersey". Lehigh Valley Live. Archived from the original on August 30, 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-04.
  6. Houten, Mariella Van; Articles, More; March 10, 2019 (10 March 2019). "Which American Idol Contestants Have Died?".CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. Daniel Kreps. "American Idol". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 20, 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-04.
  8. Sheila Marikar. "ABC News". ABC News. Retrieved 2010-09-04.
  9. Samantha McIntyre and Diane Herbst. "Former American Idol Contestant Killed". People Magazine. Retrieved 2010-09-04.
  10. Simon Vozick-Levinson. "American Idol Alexis Cohen Dies". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2010-08-16. Retrieved 2010-09-04.
  11. Gil Kaufman. "Man Indicted In American Idol Hopeful Alexis Cohen's Hit-And-Run Death". MTV. Archived from the original on September 20, 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-04.
  12. Sheila Marikar. "American Idol Contestant Alexis Cohen Killed in Hit and Run". ABC News. Retrieved 2010-09-04.
  13. Rich Schapiro (2009-07-26). "Wacky American Idol Wannabe Alexis Cohen Killed". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2010-09-04.
  14. Bill Egbert and Jane H. Furse. "Punk nabbed in hit-and-run death of 'American Idol' wannabe Alexis Cohen". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2010-09-04.
  15. "N.J. Man Indicted in Death of "Idol" Contestant". CBS News. 2010-07-10. Retrieved 2010-09-04.
  16. "Arrest Made in Ex-"Idol" Contestant's Death". NBC New York. Retrieved 2010-09-04.
  17. "Idol Contestant Killed". CNN. 2002-09-02. Archived from the original on 2012-03-10. Retrieved 2010-09-04.
  18. Simon Vozick-Levinson. "Prosecutor: Suspect was fleeing police when he hit 'American Idol' contestant". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2010-08-16. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
  19. "Plea bargain ends case against man in 'American Idol' death". Associated Press. Retrieved 2011-12-31.
  20. Cassi, Sarah (26 July 2009). "Alexis Cohen's mother speaks about her late daughter's third 'Idol' audition". lehighvalleylive.com.
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