[ AMERICAN IDOL ]
Huff’s leaving leads
to all-woman finale
Jasmine Trias stared elimination in the face last night and elimination blinked.
The night after "American Idol" judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson anointed contestants Diana DeGarmo, LaToya London and Fantasia Barrino the cream of the competition, Hawaii's lone remaining hope for an "American Idol" was relegated to the cellar last night, along with George Huff of New Orleans.
Unlike previous weeks, in which competitors receiving the fewest votes were arranged in groups of three, Trias and Huff were paired together, meaning one of the two would be forced to leave. After both performed a song each, Huff, the genial Oklahoma University student, was informed that he was the latest "AI" casualty.
Huff's exit guarantees a champion of the fairer sex in season three of "American Idol," as the four remaining singers are all female, a first-time development for the program.
While suspense ran high last night for Trias' supporters in the Aloha State, Verizon Hawaii figures show an increase of a half-million tries over last week. There were 4.7 million attempted land-line calls during "AI's" voting period Tuesday evening, which likely helped save the Maryknoll senior from banishment.
"I honestly feel, like Simon said (Tuesday) night, she has to pull something out of a hat next week, because it's getting harder for the votes from Hawaii to keep her up," said Trias fan Mel Geronimo, who has watched her ascent throughout the competition with his family in their Ewa Beach living room. "I know she has what it takes to go all the way."
"It's getting close, but it's getting more scary every week too," added his sister Shana, who admitted to phoning in several times in favor of Trias Tuesday. "We just have to keep watching and keep voting and hope for the best."
Trias' longtime vocal instructor William Daquioag, who monitored her Tuesday performance with great interest, saw promise in her act, although he also believes it will take a greater effort to unseat the remaining finalists.
"I think she did fairly good," he said. "I think she can step it up a little bit more, as far as her singing. I know what she can do and people can see that she can belt just as well as Fantasia, Diana and LaToya. It's just a matter of putting it all together."
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Top 10 will hit the road, but
won’t be Hawaii-bound
The top 10 "American Idol" season three finalists will hit the road on a 48-date summer tour.
The "Idol" caravan launches July 14 in Salt Lake City, Utah, and wraps Sept. 26 in San Jose, Calif. In between, the tour will hit Jennifer Hudson's hometown of Chicago (Aug. 5), George Huff's New Orleans (Aug. 11) and Amy Adams' Bakersfield beauty salon base (Sept. 24), among other stops.
Not on the itinerary: Hawaii, despite placing Camile Velasco and Jasmine Trias in the top 10.
Not on the lineup: Leah Labelle and Matthew Rogers. While both were "Idol" finalists, neither hung around long enough to make the top 10. The 17-year-old Labelle was the first contestant voted off the Fox competition; footballer turned performer Rogers followed the next week.
Anything can happen: Last year, 11th-place finisher Charles Grigsby landed a spot on the tour when Corey Clark was disqualified from the competition for failing to reveal an arrest record.
All going well: Hudson, Huff, Adams, Velasco and Trias, should be joined by Jon Peter Adams, LaToya London, Fantasia Barrino, Diana DeGarmo and John Stevens.
Tickets go on sale: May 22, save for a couple of Sept. 15 and 16 Canada concerts, which go on sale May 21, and a Sept. 23 Anaheim show, on sale May 23.
For the complete schedule and link to buy tickets, go to idolonfox.com.
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