[EACH CONTESTANT ONLY RECORDED ONE SONG SO DON'T ASK FOR THE OTHER]
Jason Castro - Forever In Blue Jeans
David Cook - I’m Alive
Brooke White - I Am…I Said
David Archuleta - Sweet Caroline
Syesha Mercado - Hello Again
[thanks newmusic for all the links!]
Popularity: 29% [?]
It’s David vs. David!
David Archuleta and David Cook will battle it out in next week’s American Idol finale, after a less than surprising elimination show Wednesday that sent Syesha Mercado home.
“I don’t know what to say,” a beaming Mercado replied, when Ryan Seacrest asked her to address the judges and the fans after learning her fate. “I just want to say thank you.” She looked more proud than disappointed to have made it so far after so many close calls along the way. For her final performance in the competition, Syesha sang “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys.
It was a happy ending to an emotional hour that recapped Tuesday’s grueling three-song sets and featured moving video footage of the contestants’ hometown visits. The Idol producers even played each of their farewell videos — tracing David, David and Syesha’s journeys on the show — because, as Ryan said, “it’s a very, very close race.”
It may be close, but it was hardly surprising to see Syesha say goodbye. She failed to impress the judges on Tuesday with the song of her choice, Peggy Lee’s “Fever,” which Simon called “a lame cabaret performance.” Even Paula said, “I don’t know if it’s going to be good enough to get into the finals.”
As for next week’s battle of the Davids, Simon predicted, “We’re going to have a real humdinger.”
Popularity: 9% [?]
Archuleta family friends are speaking out to PEOPLE in support of Idol finalist David Archuleta’s father, Jeff, whose backstage privileges have been revoked until further notice, according to reports.
Jeff Archuleta was accused of interfering in the production when he wanted David, 17, to alter his “Stand By Me” performance by adding a verse from Sean Kingston’s 2007 summer hit “Beautiful Girls,” against producers’ wishes.
“I get frustrated with this because of course they never get the story the way it really is,” says Richard Parkinson, 35, of Murray, Utah, who for the last three years has been working with David Archuleta on arrangements, and has also written and performed with the young Idol star. “It is completely unfair that he be taking the brunt of this, if that’s exactly what’s going on. It’s awful … It’s really awful.”
David’s voice coach, Dean Kaelin, told PEOPLE in an email Saturday: “He is just not allowed to go into the arranging sessions with David. It is more of a fairness issue than anything else, since the other two contestants don’t have people on site to help with their arrangements. It is not a punishment.”
Kaelin calls David “a good kid” and adds: “Jeff just happens to be there because David is a minor and is required by law to have a guardian with him. David’s dad is just a caring, concerned parent that fortunately has some musical expertise, and some people fear that because of this David receives an unfair advantage.”
Parkinson also denies the “stage-dad” allegations. “Jeff is a great guy. He’s involved. He’s intense. I’m intense. Sometimes people don’t like that. He’s raised a great kid. We absolutely love him. It’s unfair and uncalled for.”
–Jed Dreben and Carolyn Campbell
Popularity: 11% [?]
