LOS ANGELES, March 6, 2008
"American Idol" Down To Final 12
Now The Real Fun Begins As Finalists Go Head To Head For The Title
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Fox Entertainment Chairman Peter Liguori (top row standing center) meets and congratulates the Season 7 "American Idol" top 12 finalists on Thursday, March 6 in Los Angeles. (Fox/Kevin Winter)
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Photo Essay 'Idol' Worship Faces and voices made famous on "American Idol."
The popular Fox singing contest cut four contestants from the competition Thursday night, leaving a dozen finalists to vie for the show's record contract grand prize.
Next week, for the first time in the show's seven-year history, contestants will be allowed to sing Lennon-McCartney Beatles songs. ("Idol" producers recently secured rights for participants to perform the hard-to-get songs belonging to Sony/ATV Music Publishing, a company formed by Sony and Michael Jackson.)
More than 36 million votes were cast by viewers to pick the top 12, according to host Ryan Seacrest.Photos: "American Idol" Season 7
Among the finalists: Syesha Mercado, a 21-year-old actress who's appeared in a commercial for Ford (a major "American Idol" sponsor); David Archuleta, a 17-year-old crooner who won CBS' "Star Search" in 2003 at age 12; and Michael Johns, a 29-year-old rocker who moved from Australia to the U.S. in 1998.
Four contestants - two women and two men - were sent home Thursday.
Kady Malloy, 18, from Houston, was the first to get the boot during the live telecast. Judge Simon Cowell called Malloy "forgettable" after she sang Queen's "Who Wants To Live Forever" on Wednesday's female performance show.
Luke Menard, 29, from Crawfordsville, Ind., was dismissed second. Menard appropriately reprised his performance from Tuesday's '80s-themed male performance show: "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go."
Asia'h Epperson, 19, from Joplin, Mo., was third to go-go. Cowell had called Epperson a "second-rate" Whitney Houston after her rendition of "I Wanna Dance with Somebody."
Danny Noriega, 18, from Azusa, Calif., was the last semifinalist to be expelled. The over-the-top contestant, who sang "Tainted Love," was in tears following his removal. Seacrest called him "one of our most courageous performers ever."
Some of the 12 "Idol" finalists have already been at the center of personal controversies this season.
Carly Smithson and Kristy Lee Cook made headlines for having a pre-"Idol" record deals. Smithson's debut "Ultimate High" was released in 2001 by MCA Records. David Hernandez was outed as a male stripper at Dick's Cabaret in Phoenix to The Associated Press by the club manager Gordy Bryan. And a drunken driving arrest mugshot of Amanda Overmyer made the rounds on blogs.
The top 12 "American Idol" finalists:
By Derrik J. Lang
© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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- If, as you say, this show is garbage, why do you bother commenting on it? We need light entertainment in between the rougher stuff we have to deal with in our lives. We need a break from the news, the war, the elections, and a refuge in which to let our minds rest. Laughing over some of the goofy stuff on television is a healthy thing to do.
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- The all-time lamest show on television. Anyone who follows this plastic, pre-packaged pop star show is a real loser!
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- Do we really need more pop stars? Is there an extreme shortage or something?
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