| American Idol (Results Show Final 8) |
Keeping in with last night's Queen theme Ryan Seacrest reminds us that "Another one bites the dust". The final 8 show is an hour long, so we've got a long wait before we eventually find out! Prickly Brit judge Simon Cowell gets tickly with Paula Abdul, but she blows the whistle on his underhand antics. |  |
 | Simon tells Ryan that America respects his honesty. He denies that he is a covert under-the-table ticklemeister. No-one believes he's being honest, but there's obviously something America loves about Simon going by the many banners proclaiming their love for him! |
| In the audience, appreciating the Queen vibe are some familiar faces including semi-finalist Will Makar and Rock and Roll hall of famer, "Soul Man" Sam Moore |
| Next up it's the Ford-ommercial. The contestants are in a golf tournament competing in pairs to win a Ford Escape. |
| Their swings look pretty dodgy but not as dodgy as some of their golf outfits. Apparently this is the first time Ace Young has looked pretty in pink! It's neck and neck with four balls edging around the hole, so Katharine McPhee puts her powerful pipes to good use and blows hers and Bucky's ball over the lip to golfing glory. Bucky's celebration dance is brilliantly choreographed to dodge the furious hooks and slices of the disgruntled losers. |
| Kind of like Idol itself? Well maybe not quite. |
| Ryan asks the cocooned contestants what they've been missing whilst locked into their Idol bubble. Taylor and Paris both miss food. Kellie misses Oprah. Outdoor Ace misses the mountains, hiking, skiiing and throwin' footballs at his family. Bucky and Katharine both miss their dogs. Elliot gets a sympathetic "arrhh" from the audience when he says he's missing friends, family and playing basketball. Chris misses his wife and kids, but seems happy that they've turned up tonight. |
| Just to make them miss things a bit more Ryan plays each of them a video from home. Here are the messages they received from their nearest and dearest... |
To Katharine from mom and dad, Danny & Peisha... Danny: Hey there squirt it's your daddy. Peisha: Hi Kat. Danny: I love you a lot Kat. Peisha: Kat, we're so proud of you and we've got McPheever. McPheever! Danny: I'm your proud McFather. Peisha: I'm your proud McMother. (Katharines mom and dad both laugh) |
To Ace from mom and dad, Kay and Jay... Jay: Hey buddy we're havin' a blast with this. We love your success and most importantly we're sharing this with all of our friends here in Colorado and your friends across the country. Thanks so much, good luck. |
To Elliott from mom, Claudette... Claudette: Hi Ell, this is mom in case you didn't notice. I wish you well tonight. We're all praying for you. We're very proud of you and I love you. Give 'em hell son. |
To Taylor from mom, Pam... Pam: Taylor I love you and I miss you very much. Everybody in Alabama is rooting for you. We're waiting on a big hug from our Taylor man. |
To Paris from mom, Jamecia... Jamecia: Hi Paris, it's mom. I am so proud of you, you wouldn't even imagine. This is a great journey for you and I am so happy to be a part of it. |
To Bucky from mom, Debbie... Debbie: Bucky, we love you. We know you're gonna do great. All of North Carolina and a big part of the United States is rootin' for you son. We're very proud of you. Go get 'em. |
To Chris from mom and dad, Sandra and Pete... Pete: Hi Chris, we just wanted to let you know that we're proud of you and we're voting for you and we love you and can't wait to see you. Sandra: Hey Chris, we love you and we're voting for you every week until you become the next American Idol. |
To Kellie from grandfather and brother, Clyde and Eric... Clyde: Kellie, we love you baby. We're proud of you. You just keep on doin' your thing and you're gonna be okay. Everybody says they love you and hello. Keep your chin up. (To Eric) Now tell Kellie you love her. Eric: I love you. |
| Ryan puts the spotlight on Elliott who shed a few tears during the messages. He then moves on to announce that next week's theme is "The Great American Songbook" and the guest musician is Rod Stewart who has cut 4 volumes of discs under the said title. |
| After the break the serious business of results commences. Ryan also weaves in more messages for each contestant before announcing whether they are safe or in this week's bottom 3... |
Taylor Hicks First a message from Taylor's bandmates, Sam and Brian... Sam: I'm Sam, I'm the guitarist. Brian: And I'm Brian, keyboardist. We've been in Taylor's band for about two and a half years. Taylor was the drive of the band. Taylor is the drive of the band. Even when he's in L.A. you know, we still have him in our minds. We were some of the closest people to Taylor. We're Taylor's family, you know, so to speak. Taylor has 2 huge goldfish, I think they are. Ray and Lamont. We're all takin' care of the fish right now. He makes a lot of jokes about everything. Sam: He's quick too, and sometimes like I've been laughin' at jokes that he's made about 2 months ago that I finally just got. Brian: (Laughs) Ryan announces Taylor is safe. |  |
Katharine McPhee More from her Danny & Peisha out in Sherman Oaks, California... Peisha: Every time that Katharine sings... I think every time, Danny cries. Danny: (Nods) Peisha: Her dad cries. Danny: I bawl like a baby. Peisha: We have footage of her when she's two and she's like, "enjoy the show!". Clip of toddler Katharine entertaining Little Katharine: Hi everybody. Are we gonna have a good show today? (Shouts of "Yeah!") Danny: She used to walk around with, you know the brush and you know, do the thing in the mirror, check herself out in the mirror to see how she was holding the microphone when she was a little kid. Peisha: (Laughs) Clip of toddler Katharine singing "A,B,C,D,E,F,G" Danny: She takes my breath away sometimes, with what she does, how she performs and it's just... literally I lose my breath. Another toddler clip... Peisha: Say bye-bye. Little Katharine: Bye-bye. Danny: (Watching the clip with tears in his eyes) Bye-bye. Huh... yeah. (Laughs at himself) Peisha: Oh! Danny: (Wiping his eyes) I'm a mess. Ryan hands Katharine a handkerchief as she wells up after the clip.
He then tells her she is safe. |
Chris Daughtry A message from brother Kennetth and mom and dad back in McCleansville North Carolina,,, Kenneth: My dad works for a lumber mill, I work for a lumber mill. So it's sort of a family business and we expected Chris to do the same thing but we knew he was destined for bigger things. He gets his talent from mom and dad. Pete: (Chris' dad) It's a special thing for me to see him go through this far. Especially doin' music because it would have been somethin' that I would have wanted to have done, but he's bold enough to go after what he wants. Sandra: (Chris' mom) I think he'd be a very good role model for young people. Pete: He's a good father. He's a good husband. He would make an excellent American Idol. Kenneth: Chris, we're all pullin' for you, we love you. We're votin' for you hard every week. We're so proud of you. Rock on brother. (Chris' family all wave to the camera) Chris is safe. |
Kellie Pickler Before she watches more messages from grandfather Clyde and brother Eric, Kellie borrows a handkerchief, which she refers to as "The community snot rag"! Clyde: This town is really, you know, they've been behind her 100 per cent. They talk to me everywhere I go and want me to tell her you know that they love her. It makes you feel good when they come out like this. Clyde: (On a bench swing with Eric) Well what do you think about your sister bein' out there singin'? Clyde: (Narration) When I go pick him up the first thing Eric does when he gets in the truck is ask me if Kellie's gonna be at home. He's crazy about his sister. Clyde: (Back on the bench swing) What do you think about gettin' up on that big stage? Could you do that? Eric: No. Clyde: You couldn't? I couldn't either. Kellie is safe. She hands back the "snot rag" to Ryan.
Our squeamish host tosses it off the plinth and over to Elliott. |
Elliott Yamin Tooled up with the community 'handkerchief' Elliott watches hears more from his mom and his pal Rob... Claudette: Elliot had some problems in his childhood. First of all he had allergies. He was allergic to everything. Grass, trees, weeds. So we determined he could never be a gardener. So that eliminated that occupation. Rob: He's always had problems with health. Mainly his ears and then his diabetes when he found out he had that when he was 17. Claudette: It was the 4th July and Elliott came home and I said "Aren't you goin' out with your friends to listen to fireworks?" He said "Mom, I don't feel well". We fortunately live next door to a hospital. Normal blood count with diabetes is 130 and he was in the 700s. He was a sick little puppy. Rob: Elliott's mother means the world. Everything he does, he wants to gratitude from his mother. Claudette: I'm so proud of him. I'm so very proud. Not... not, I have to impress upon you... not the talent, because the talent's a given. But he's such a good soul. |
Ryan tells Elliott "We like Claudette, your mom. She's cool." but then announces he's the first to make the bottom 3. He's invited center of the stage. Randy is unhappy, "America's a little bit confused 'cause this boy can sing dude". Elliott seems shocked when Ryan asks him to sing.
"That's what we do on American Idol" explains Ryan, 'Uncomfortable moments'... make them sing!" Elliott reprises Queen's "Somebody To Love". |  |
Ace Young Ace hears more from his family 'back in the Rockies'... Jay: (Ace's dad) Growin' up in Colorado was great for Ace. He was always outdoors. He's backpacking, skiing... and that's relly his lifestyle. Mark: (Ace's brother, talking alongside Ace's other brother Duff) Ace is the youngest of five, which means that he was good at rebounding. And what I mean by rebounding is taking punishment and bouncing back up. Jay: Ace sometimes attributes the fact that he's a fast runner to the fact that he is the youngest of five boys, because he felt sometimes as though he was running for his life. Mark: You could always get Ace to do whatever you wanted him to do for you as long as you put a time limit on it, and you said "Okay, (looks at his watch) I'm startin' right now! Go get me a soda out the fridge" and he's like "No!", and you're like "Aw, I'm countin'!" (Mark laughs) Kay: (Ace's mom) When they'd scuffle he'd get in there with the big guys and be right in it. (Laughs) Jay: It was scary sometimes. Duff: (Ace's brother) I guess we bullied him, but that was that was just growin' up for us, so... but "what doesn't kill yer", you know. (Mark and Duff laugh) Family: (Mom, dad, Mark, Duff, Sister-in-law and kids) We miss you Ace, we love you! (They all wave) "Tough love from the borthers huh!" remarks Ryan before telling Ace he's also in this week's bottom three.
Ace reprises Queen's "We Will Rock You".
Ryan asks the panel if Ace is in real danger. Paula remarks that after watching things back everyone had faults, Simon says he still hates Ace's performance! |
| Bucky or Paris will complete tonight's bottom 3. Bucky gives a friendly squeeze to Paris' shoulder as they wait to find out who. |
Bucky Covington A message from Bucky's dad, Gene, in Rockingham, North Carolina. Gene: You ask anybody from one end of the world to the other. "Where's Rockingham?" "Oh yeah, the race track" (Shots of the "North Carolina Speedway") Now it's gone. We lost it to the people in California. They got to go where the money is at. We understand it but still it's a beautiful place out here just sittin' for nothin'. The biggest thing that's happened here since the race is what Bucky's done to Rockingham, Richmond County. (Scenes of cheering crowds) I ain't never seen a NASCAR race bring people together like this has. On every billboard sign up and down Highway 74 "Go vote for Bucky". He's just put a whole new life on everybody and I'm just tickled to death, tickled to death. Chris Daughtry gives Bucky a supportive tap on the shoulder. |
Paris Bennett More messages from Paris' family and friends. Ann Nesby: (Paris' Grandmother) Paris actually lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but she just decided she wanted to do her senior year with me in Atlanta. Jamecia: (Paris' mom) Paris had decided she didn't want to sing anymore. |  |
Callie: (Sitting with Kiana, both are Paris' friends) She had looked at different schools here and I know she had looked at different schools in Florida and she was gonna go be a doctor. Ann: She decided that she wanted to be a gynecologist. Jamecia: I called my mom "(Crying voice) Mom! Paris doesn't want to sing anymore! What are we gonna do!" My mom was like "Hey, let her go through it" Ann: 'Cause she didn't really wanna walk in the limelight of her family. All of us being singers. When her grandfather told her they're doin' auditions for American Idol she said "Okay, well I'll go, but if I don't get it I'm not gonna stay." Callie: She just wanted to prove who she was and I'm really excited that she decided to follow this. Ann: I don't think we could pull her away from American Idol at this point. Cut to Paris who has streams tearing down her face. (Literally!) |
Ryan turns to the judges for comments about Paris and Bucky, before revealing it is Bucky who is in bottom three. Paris looks relieved, then gives Bucky a hug before he heads center stage. Bucky reprises Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls". |
| The final reckoning eventually arrives. Elliott and Ace hug Bucky as they join him stage center. Simon says "based on last night's performance...Ace" should go, but Ryan follows up by revealing that "Leaving us tonight on American Idol is... Bucky." Paris cries, Bucky smiles. |
| Ryan replays Bucky's big moments on Idol, which include an impressive standing somersault he did after being told he was in the final 24. Bucky's voiceover on the clip declares "I gotta do music for a living. Even if I don't get big, rich and famous, it's just somethin' I gotta do." |
| "People love you Bucky" said Paula during one of the live shows. It's clearly true as the Idol contestants crowd onstage to take their turns in the Bucky hugfest. One gets the feeling that Bucky has the whole Idol thing in perspective and he will take the positives from it to help fulfil his dream of making it in the world of country music. We'll be looking out for you in Nashville Bucky boy! |
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