Michael Johns leaves for home
THIS is outrageous! Michael Johns has been voted out. Recount! I want a recount! Michael was clearly one of the better contestants 48 hours ago. How can America do that to him?!
Michael, born in Perth, Australia, was definitely born to sing. At the count of Top 7, he was rudely booted out with the lowest votes.
I am sure his family, friends and fans (in that order) are just as stunned as the rest of those of us who saw that he was easily good enough for at least three more weeks, based on his current performance.
With Dream On, Michael took command of the stage, sang it quite splendidly, held his on and then some.
I was pleased. The judges were pleased but the votes just didn't come in. As Ryan Seacrest has time and time again urged Idol watchers: "You have to vote if you want your favourite contestant to stay on and sing for you!"
I guess this time, when Michael needed the support most, the fans were just not there. Sometimes it happens that the votes for other contestants are larger and more decisive to tip the scales.
In a way, Michael Johns has already achieved a measurable amount of fame to hasten his musical career, if he so wants it.
Together with Carly Smithson, Michael is the only other "foreigner" to make it to the Top 12 for this season. Carly as most of us know is from Ireland.
You can't help but notice Michael on stage because he's probably one of the tallest contestants for any season of the American Idol. Standing at nearly 6ft 4in, Michael towers above everyone else.
Even his vocals have a tendency to soar to the rafters when he's in his element. For the past two weeks, he was there for a significant portion of the time when the spotlight was on him.
The judges were singing praises of Michael of raising the benchmark.
Personally, I thought he has a pretty good chance of reaching the last 4. But that is not to be. Sometimes what I put aside, voters put asunder.
Michael survived 7 elimination rounds since he made it to the Top 24. This 29-year-old has called America his home since 1998 has actually cut an album back in 2001.
The album was Future Unknown under a contract signed with Maverick Records.
That album was supposed to be released in 2003 but that didn't happened. Eventually, it did show up in iTunes. Apparently, it didn't do much for Michael who by then had found his way into Season 7 of the American Idol.
Michael and Carly have been described by some people as "semi-pros".
I am not sure if that accurately describes them but some Idol watchers may have held that against the two because they feel that it was a bit unfair to pit them against the amateurs, or non-professionals.
But technicalities aside, Michael deserved a better placing than 8th in this competition. But all that has come to past now.
I am sure we will hear more from him in the near future.