'American Idol' Axes Two More Finalists

'American Idol' Axes a Pair of Contestants, Leaving Four Singers to Vie for the TitleRight, American Idol contestant Phil Stacey sings "Blaze of Glory" by Bon Jovi on American Idol, May 1, 2007 in Los Angeles, California. Left, American Idol Chris Richardson sings "Wanted: Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi after being eliminated from the competition on American Idol, May 2, 2007 in Los Angeles, California.

With no one ousted at the end of last week's charity-focused show, "American Idol" gave the heave-ho to two contestants Wednesday night Phil Stacey and Chris Richardson.

The viewer vote tally from last week was added to this week's, with more than 135 million phone and text-message ballots cast in all. Stacey, 29, of Jacksonville, Fla., and Chris Richardson, 22, of Chesapeake, Va., drew the fewest votes. With their departure, the number of finalists is down to four. The winner will be chosen May 23.

Randy Jackson said on Tuesday's program that Stacey's take on Bon Jovi's "Blaze Of Glory" was his "best performance ever." Stacey a "good man," said host Ryan Seacrest performed that song one last time on Wednesday, as LaKisha Jones and other finalists wiped away tears.

Richardson, a Justin Timberlake lookalike, hugged "best friend" and finalist Blake Lewis when Seacrest announced he was going home.

"Thank you to everybody for keeping me in this long," said Richardson, before giving a farewell performance of "Wanted Dead Or Alive" again, by Bon Jovi.

And the final four are drumroll, please Jones, Lewis, Jordin Sparks and Melinda Doolittle.

Wednesday's program also featured performances by Robin Thicke and Bon Jovi, the multiplatinum band whose shaggy-haired lead singer was this week's guest coach.

In its sixth season, "American Idol" continues to rule the ratings. It has attracted 26 million to 37 million viewers per telecast this season.

Chris Richardson

Chris Richardson
FAST FACTS

Age: 22

Hometown: Chesapeake, VA

Audition City: New York


Favorite male pop artists?
Jason Mraz, JT, James Brown, Michael Jackson

Favorite female pop artists?
Early 90’s Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera

When did you first start to sing?
Very young.

Do you have any formal singing training?
No.

What other talents do you have?
Guitar, drums, piano, drawings, songwriter, poetry.

If you don’t make it on AMERICAN IDOL, what will you do?
Continue pursuing a music career.

What are your personal goals in life?
To achieve things I thought were out of reach because of the probabilities (music, career, football).

What album would your friends be surprised you own?
Elvis Presley.

Who is your AMERICAN IDOL?
My Pops and Mom.

Do you have any rituals or things you do each time before you perform?
Breathe, maybe go to the bathroom.

Most embarrassing moments?
n/a

What has been your proudest moment in life so far?
Making the top 24 out of a lot of people.

If you couldn’t sing, which talent would you most like to have?
Instruments.

What is your definition of AMERICAN IDOL?
An individual, someone who has their own portrayal of who they are and people recognize the separation.

Who is your favorite judge and why?
No favorite, like ‘em all.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?
Very self-conscious about myself, but hide it well.

How has this changed your life?
I don’t know yet, but hopefully it’s gonna do something for me.

Do you have any lucky charms?
Rubber bands (2 on my right wrist).

Who are your heroes in life?
God, my family.

What’s been your toughest obstacle in life?
Trying to get completely inside the music industry door.

Do you think the audition process was fair?
Really don’t know what’s fair and unfair in this competition b/c there’s so much talent here and everywhere else, it’s hard to choose everyone. But as for the people here, awesome choices.

If you win, who will you thank first?
God