'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.

Phil Stacey

Phil Stacey

FAST FACTS

Age: 29

Hometown: Jacksonville, FL

Audition City: Memphis

Favorite male pop artists?
Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Prince, Sting, Michael Jackson, Timberlake, Robbie Williams, James Taylor and, of course, Sir Paul McCartney

Favorite female pop artists?
Vienna Teng, Sheryl Crow, Anastasia, Paula Abdul

When did you first start to sing?
I’m a pastors kid, so Mom and Dad had me singing in church as soon as I could.

Do you have any formal singing training?
I do—I took lessons in college.

What other talents do you have?
I like to draw. I also play piano, guitar, bass, and drums. I also enjoy writing songs and producing independent projects.

If you don’t make it on AMERICAN IDOL, what will you do?
I don’t even know—probably just curl up in a big ball and cry myself to sleep.

What are your personal goals in life?
To be a good husband and father, and to get a PhD so people can call me Dr. Phil.

What album would your friends be surprised you own?
Frank Sinatra…Live at the Sands maybe…I don’t know. I’m pretty musically diverse so I doubt they’d be surprised with anything.

Who is your AMERICAN IDOL?
My wife, Kendra—she’s hot.

Do you have any rituals or things you do each time before you perform?
I ask God to help me do my best. I also cough a lot every time I perform. It’s a nervous tick.

Most embarrassing moments?
I sang at the U.T.K. Arena in front of 25,000 people and forgot the song on stage—lesson learned—won’t be repeated on A.I.

What has been your proudest moment in life so far?
Marrying the most amazing woman on the planet and then, of course, meeting my babies.

If you couldn’t sing, which talent would you most like to have?
I’d love to be able to produce records well.

What is your definition of AMERICAN IDOL?
Someone from the U.S. whom people idolize. I guess technically they could be from South America or Canada, too.

Who is your favorite judge and why?
Probably Randy because he’s the first one of them to believe in me—but they’re all really cool. Paula is amazing.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I had a car stolen from me at gun point when I was in high school. But it was very nice of the guy not to shoot me, so I’m not entirely bitter.

How has this changed your life?
I’m probably more famous. I’m also exercising now to look a little better on TV.

Do you have any lucky charms?
My friends bought me a trophy of a guy singing into a mic that looked just like me. The head popped off of it on the way to Hollywood week, but it still served me well.

Who are your heroes in life?
My parents and my in-laws—both excellent examples of genuine integrity.

What’s been your toughest obstacle in life?
Making it through round one…sad but true.

Do you think the audition process was fair?
There are moments that seemed jacked up to me, but overall, it is absolutely the best way to conduct a competition on this scale.

If you win, who will you thank first?
Maybe the girl who almost passed on me the first audition day but ended up sending me through, but probably God. Yeah, I’ll go with God.