Simon Picks Taylor To Win ‘Idol’

On Tuesday?s ?American Idol,? each of the final three contestants will perform three songs here at CBS Television City. And one of their songs was selected by music mogul Clive Davis, who put a call into The Boss for the occasion.

?I made a call into [Bruce] Springsteen?s office and I asked Bruce for permission to use ?Dancing In the Dark? and I got it,? Clive revealed.

Clive got it ? and now Taylor Hicks will sing it, marking the first time a Springsteen song is heard on ?Idol.?

While Taylor will be busy trying to fill The Boss? shoes, Elliott Yamin will bust out the Journey classic ?Open Arms.?

And as for the lone lady left, Katharine McPhee? It looks like Clive has selected an R. Kelly hit.

?My choice for Katharine is ?I Believe I Can Fly,?? Davis said.

And while Clive wouldn?t tell us who he thinks will win ?Idol,? Simon Cowell had no problem naming names over at the ?Tonight Show.?

Simon predicts that the gray-haired Taylor will be the next “American Idol.”

“I’m going to say he’s the favorite, but what do I know?” Cowell told Jay Leno on NBC’s “Tonight Show” Monday.

Cowell had earlier predicted that rocker Chris Daughtry, who was booted off “Idol” in an upset last week, would be among the show’s three remaining finalists.

Simon also expects Yamin to be the next to go, resulting in a Hicks-McPhee finale on May 23-24. Though Cowell thought McPhee, 21, should have been voted off last week, he thinks she’ll last one more round.

“Based on last week, absolutely she should have gone,” said Cowell. “But, you know, she’s got a fighting chance. I think she’ll make the final, and I’ll tell you why: because I’m choosing one of her songs this week.”

The 27-year-old Yamin might not have Cowell’s vote, but he has a fan in judge Paula Abdul.

Last week, Abdul told Teen People magazine, “I am going to be honest with you — I want Elliot to win.”

After performances Tuesday evening, the remaining “Idol” field of three will be cut down to two on Wednesday (9 p.m. EDT).