Nashville drew 16,000 "American Idol" hopefuls -- the second largest turnout in its history -- officials in charge of finding talent for the Fox TV show said.

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The throng of aspiring singers started queuing up at dawn downtown Saturday, The (Nashville) Tennessean reported Sunday.

"I see it as an once-in-a-lifetime chance," Michael Alvis, 19, Columbus, Ind., told The Tennessean. "If you have the chance, you're going to take it."

"American Idol" spokesman Patrick Lynn told the newspaper the turnout was higher than expected.

"We wanted to come back (to Nashville), for a long time," Lynn said. "You just don't get a vibe like this anywhere else."

Needless to say, the vibe was more negative for the majority of the folks who tried their luck and left with no more than a "thank you."

Some told The Tennessean they chalked it up to a learning experience while others groused the producers were more interested in fleshing out the roster with oddballs.

"As far as I'm concerned, it's a stupid TV show," said Gayle Dodd, 24, Onstead, Mich. "I don't want to be (an) 'American Idol,' because I can be something better than that on my own."