“American Idol” had its most shocking elimination of the season on Thursday night.
James Durbin, the contender Randy Jackson picked to win was let go from the competition.
The move left the rocker in tears.
“Man, I worked so damn hard to get here and, God, I was really hoping to get there,” James said after learning the news. “But, I had a feeling today.”
AH Nation Poll: Did the right person go home on “Idol”? Click HERE to vote!
Despite his elimination, James said he was proud of himself for accomplishing his goal on the pop competition.
“I did so much stuff that’s never been done on this show before,” James said. “In my eyes and my mind and what I believe, I did what I came here to do, which was give metal a chance.”
“You have incredible courage,” show host Ryan Seacrest said.
James’ elimination left the judges floored and Jennifer Lopez shaken up and with tears streaming down her face.
James gave a final performance of the Paul McCartney/Wings song, “Maybe I’m Amazed,” which saw him saunter into the audience and kiss his ladylove.
While James was cut from the show, Scotty McCreery, who was also in the bottom two, was saved to continue on.
The final three: Scotty, Lauren Alaina and Haley Reinhart will compete on Wednesday when “Idol” returns at 8 PM on FOX.
Chime in on our other polls… including, what did you think of Lady Gaga as an “Idol” mentor? Click HERE to visit our AH Nation polls page!
Copyright © 2024 by NBC Universal, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be republished, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.