Sixty-year-old Edmonds man LeRoy Bell is still alive on FOX's competitive singing TV show "The X-Factor," in a field of 12 acts. Currently split evenly between boys, girls, singers over 30 and multi-person groups — judged by Simon Cowell, Nicole Scherzinger, L.A. Reid and Paula Abdul — one act gets the boot each week from here on out. Performances are Wednesday, eliminations Thursday. America starts voting Nov. 2.

Ranking the field

1. Astro (Brooklyn, NY) - Young rapper Astro's spirited rendition of Kris Kross's "Jump" was entertaining enough to make you feel like you were at a concert. Cowell said, "You just killed everybody."

2. LeRoy Bell (Edmonds, WA) - Bell's rumbly purr made Pink's otherwise forgettable "Nobody Knows" easy to enjoy.

3. Rachel Crow (Boulder, CO) - Crow bottled the charm of her voice and persona, childish and yet old, with a medley of Justin Bieber's "Baby" and The Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Go."

4. Melanie Amaro (Sunrise, FL) - Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing" was a difficult choice, with big notes and a key change. Amaro handled it technically well, with truly affecting sincerity.

5. Stereo Hoggz (Houston, TX) - These men hit their steps together and sang tightly, making a new-school version of "Try a Little Tenderness" a lot of fun.

6. Drew Ryniewicz (Chino Valley, AZ) - With her soft, cracking voice, Ryniewicz imbued Irene Cara's "Flashdance (What a Feeling)" with a floating quality.

7. Marcus Canty (Bowie, MD) - His bold, techno-ish remix of Culture Club's "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" was sincere and well-sung enough to land on the right side of corny.

8. InTENsity (various) - Singing "Footloose" in the style of the cast of "Glee," this group of ten performers did a good job but not everyone seemed on the same page.

9. Josh Krajcik (Columbus, OH) - "Forever Young" never sounded so craggy. Krajcik is aiming to bring Joe Cocker's voice to the pop charts, a worthy pursuit.

10. Chris Rene (Santa Cruz, CA) - This likable recovering addict and fusion sing-rapper did a nice job with "Love Don't Live Here Anymore," hitting notes more cleanly as he went.

11. Lakoda Rayne (various) - A cobbled-together group of Barbies, their version of "Come On Eileen" felt a bit forced.

12. Stacy Francis (Brooklyn, NY) - Though she wasn't crying like she normally is, her "One More Try" still seemed desperate.