“American Idol” finalist Joshua Ledet won’t be belting it out on this season’s final showdown.

The booming 20-year-old vocal powerhouse from Westlake, La., was revealed Thursday to have received the fewest viewer votes on the Fox talent contest. That leaves bluesy 21-year-old crooner Phillip Phillips, of Leesburg, Ga., and sassy 16-year-old budding diva Jessica Sanchez, of San Diego, to compete on next week’s finale.

Ledet has been one of the judges’ favorite finalists, earning more than a dozen standing ovations from the panel.

“Idol” host Ryan Seacrest said 90 million viewer votes were cast this week.

Phillips and Sanchez will face off Tuesday, with the 11th season “Idol” champion crowned Wednesday.

Last week, American Idol said farewell to powerhouse singer, Hollie Cavanagh.

The 18-year-old singer, who first came to America’s attention when she auditioned for season 10 of Idol, but was cut just before the top 24, was praised by the judges for her powerful voice, but suffered throughout the competition to connect emotionally to her song choices. She began to improve in recent weeks, but lack of consistency became a problem.

She was sent home last week after she failed to impress the judges with her rendition of Bonnie Raitt‘s “I Can’t Make You Love Me.”

Cavanagh talked to reporters about her elimination, her close friendship with fellow contestant Joshua Ledet, and who will take home the title.

On predicting her Idol sendoff.
“There was definitely something different about that day. I’m not sure what it was, but I guess it was just my gut just telling me. I was just preparing myself for it, but at the same time staying hopeful because you never know what could happen. But I’m not quite sure what the feeling was, but it was just different than every other Thursday.” Read the full story

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine President Benigno Aquino III has picked his “American Idol.”

The Philippines’ leader says he is happy Jessica Sanchez is one of the singing contest’s top three finalists and “hopefully she really reaches the top.”

The 16-year-old Sanchez is from Chula Vista, California, and has Filipino and Latino heritage. She is being cheered by many in the Philippines and by the Filipino and Mexican communities in the U.S.

The TV talent show airs the finale next week.

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Online:

http://www.americanidol.com/

Colton Dixon was American Idol’s golden boy from the moment he stepped into the audition room last summer. A favorite among all three judges, the 20-year-old singer never found himself in danger of elimination — until last week.

After his lukewarm renditions of Lady Gaga‘s “Bad Romance” and Earth Wind and Fire‘s “September” last week, the young singer received the lowest amount of votes and was sent home from the competition.

Dixon talked to reporters about his surprise exit, his future music plans, and his thoughts on who will be the next American Idol.

On his shocking elimination.
“I had a feeling I was in the bottom three, but I was still surprised because I had never been in the bottom. At the same time, I’m okay with it and I’m glad Hollie gets to stay longer. She’s going to kill it this week and all’s going to be well. It all happened so fast, and since I had never been in the bottom, I didn’t fully understand what was going on. Even the next morning when I woke up, I was thinking, ‘OK, I need to get ready for the mentor session,’ and I was like, ‘Oh wait, that wasn’t a bad dream last night!’ It’s weird being on the other side of things and outside of the Idol bubble.”
Read the full story

(Video above of Haley Reinhart singing her new single “Free” shot by show attendee Ken Ostroff via YouTube.)

Haley Reinhart at the Norton Museum of Art's Art After Dark. (J. Gwendolynne Berry / Palm Beach Post)

Haley Reinhart’s time on the stage at the Norton After Dark/WRMF Listener’s Lounge on Thursday was certainly different than the performances she gave on “American Idol,” where she finished third in 2011. Instead of the FOX show’s elaborate stage productions, it was just the effervescent singer and two musicians. No JLo. No Seacrest. No voting.

Just a smile, a voice and a winning, buoyant personality and presence. All Haley.

Photos: Haley Reinhart at the Norton Museum of Art | Photos: Earth Day fashion show at the Norton

She confirmed, for me, why she was my favorite singer last year, besides the fact that I admittedly liked the funky, jazzy, rocky things she does. She just seems so real, in her unaugmented talent – you can’t fake those pipes, y’all – in her joy in singing and in the connection she has with her audiences. She performed three songs from her upcoming album “Listen Up,” including the heartbreakingly simple “Free,” now playing on WRMF and around the globe. Everything about the song sets her apart from the teen market that “Idol” pushes – it’s a song about letting go, about wanting to maintain your dignity and memories and then be free of a relationship that’s killing both of you. This is an adult song. This is not a song for an insubstantial little girl. And Hayley sold that regret and pain and grownup-hood.
Read the full story

As we speak, I’m watching this year’s “American Idol” featuring some amazing singers. But only a few of them inspire me every week with their originality, inventiveness and unstoppable artistry. By the time last year’s field was narrowed to three, there was only one, for my money, that had all that.

And as that singer, Haley Reinhart, prepares to come to the fabulous Norton After Dark series as part of WRMF’s Listener Lounge tonight, she wants you to know things worked out just the way she wanted.

“I kept setting goals for myself. Each step of the way was baby steps,” says Reinhart, whose single “Free” set the “Idol” stage alight a few weeks back, and whose album “Listen Up!” is released May 22. “Getting to third was what I wanted in the first place. I had no real regrets. I wanted to get to the Top Ten, so I could go on (the “American Idol”) tour, and that seemed like the right place for me.”

Right now, the place Haley finds herself is on a promotional tour for “Listen Up!” mostly radio stations shows, before setting out on a larger jaunt.

“It’s been so surreal, but that’s pretty typical for me now. I went straight from the show to the (“Idol”) tour, to moving to L.A. and writing the whole album, but it’s wonderful,” she says.  

Reinhart says that she didn’t have “one specific goal for the album. I wanted to make people feel good when they heard it. A lot of it is mid-tempo – everything has a groove to it. As far as the lyrics and melody, I wanted to take people on a journey, either to escape or somewhere they’ll relate to, whichever they’d like to do.”

]The ideas for thse lyrics can come at any time, so she says she makes sure to always have her phone with her “for voice memos. When we got into the songwriting process, if just came pouring out. It was very easy to write, with my co-writers and producers. It was really good getting feedback for each new song.”

Haley’s promotional shows like the one tonight at the Norton are fairly short – “I don’t want to give too much away” – she teases, “but I can’t wait to start playing some of these others ones. There are so many I really enjoy doing.”

American Idol said farewell to DeAndre Brackensick last week after he failed to win over America with his rendition of “I Like It” by DeBarge during ’80s week.

Even the love of Jennifer Lopez couldn’t save Brackensick from getting the boot. While the adoring judge made clear she had voted to use the panel’s one “save” of the season to rescue him from elimination, both Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson failed to vote in favor of the 17-year-old singer.

Brackensick talked to reporters about his emotional elimination, the upcoming summer tour, and plans for his career.

On his surprising sendoff.
“I thought I did very well the night before. I can’t really explain the feeling I had. It was just more a numbness. I didn’t know what to feel because I just didn’t want to go. The judges came and talked to me and just told me to keep doing what I’m doing and that I’m going to keep going on in life with music. I did get to see some of the contestants at the mansion when I was packing up. It was all love and everybody’s amazing.” Read the full story

“American Idol” viewers apparently didn’t like Deandre Brackensick.

The falsetto-powered 17-year-old student from San Jose, Calif., impressed the “Idol” judges with DeBarge’s “I Like It” on Wednesday’s 1980s-themed installment, but he wasn’t rescued by the panel Thursday after receiving the fewest viewer votes.

Jennifer Lopez told Brackensick that she was outvoted by Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson to use the judges’ one-time-only ability to save him from dismissal.

“I only get one vote,” said Lopez. “I’m sorry. We’re not saving you tonight.”

Before his last-chance performance of Stevie Wonder’s “Master Blaster,” Brackensick was joined in the show’s bottom three by rockin’ 28-year-old teacher Elise Testone, of Charleston, S.C., and booming 18-year-old vocalist Hollie Cavanagh of McKinney, Texas. Testone and Cavanagh seemed more likely to be eliminated after receiving the judges’ harshest criticism on Wednesday.

The other singers remaining in the competition are Colton Dixon, 20, of Murfreesboro, Tenn.; Skylar Laine, 18, of Brandon, Miss.; Joshua Ledet, 19, of Westlake, La.; Jessica Sanchez, 16, of San Diego; and Phillip Phillips, 21 of Leesburg, Ga. The seven finalists will return to the stage Wednesday and face elimination again Thursday.

Well done, NuDeBarge. Keep it up.

I started out really “meh” on this season of “American Idol,” but lately I’m more and more excited because all of these kids are talented. There are no real weak points, now that the talented but outclassed Heejun has gone (sorry, kid. Is true.)

’80s night was interesting, because they didn’t take a lot of time establishing what made the era special musically. It’s sorta all over the place, and while the songs were pretty representative of the era, from pop to rock to R&B, there was a connective thread missing for me. And I wish they’d had mentors who recorded in the ’80s, rather than No Doubt, who are my age and are influenced by it. But I love Gwen and Tony, so I’ll accept it…like I have anything to do with it. Which I don’t. But go ahead, “Idol!” I give you permission.

Sometimes, it’s painful to be me.

Anyhoo, I liked the performances last night. My surprise favorites were DeAndre and Skylar. I considered Pretty Hair the weakest singer, but his “I Like It” was excellent, because he used his natural voice and falsetto in such a lovely, controlled way. We old DeBarge fans thank you. (And get well, El.)

Skylar is an amazing singer who, to her credit, is better than the box’s she’s put in. It has been said that the show has grouped Jessica and Joshua as the power singers (but not Hollie), when Skylar seems to be excluded because she doesn’t sing pop or R&B. But she’s amazing. She can sing anything, really, and I’m so impressed. So, so impressed.

And can we talk about Jessica? About how she only really excites me as a singer when she’s doing fun, upbeat, youthful songs like “How Will I Know?” I love watching her cut loose and just be a talented young girl. But the show seems to want to make her a ballad singer. Why can’t she just be 16? She’s good at it! And proving she can do everything makes her more marketable, out of the confines of this show!

What did you think?

“American Idol” runner-up David Archuleta has posted a farewell YouTube video to fans as he prepares for a two-year Mormon mission in South America.

The 21-year-old singer says in a video blog posted Wednesday that his contact with fans will be limited while he’s in the undisclosed country.

KSL reports he entered the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, on Wednesday as a precursor to the assignment.

Archuleta competed on the seventh season of “American Idol” and has since released three albums. He announced at a December concert that he’d be going on a mission, like many young men in the church.

He says in his video that he’s “trying to focus on something else” besides his career, and looks forward to spending more “one-on-one time with my Heavenly Father.”