American Idol's Top 9 Trimmed To 8: Find Out Who Was Kicked Off!
March 22 2013, Published 6:59 a.m. ET
One of the nine finalists on the 12th season of American Idol was sent packing Thursday, in what came as a mild surprise after Wednesday's Beatles night.
'Tis not the season to be Jolley, apparently.
PHOTO: Nicki Minaj Has Onstage Wardrobe Malfunction
A night after Nicki Minaj ripped his performance as "safe, very bland and forgettable," 22-year-old country singer Paul Jolley was eliminated on Thursday night's American Idol results show.
Nashville native Paul, who stumbled singing Eleanor Rigby Wednesday, landed in the bottom three this week along with Devin Velez and Amber Holcomb, whose inclusion irritated the judges.
Randy Jackson said he was "really shocked" Amber's ranking was so low, while Nick Minaj said, "I definitely think Amber should not be in the bottom three -- that's common sense."
For his last ditch effort, Paul sang Heart's power ballad Alone, but the judges weren't swayed to burn their save card on him.
youtube
"Thank you so much to everyone for all the love & support you have given me!" Paul tweeted after his elimination. "Please continue with me along my journey. I love y'all so much!
"There are some really cool things I'm doing … I want y'all to be a part of as my career grows."
youtube
One surprise Thursday was Lazaro Arbos' easy evening, as he was the first contestant announced as safe just a night after the judges' brutal assessments of his performance had him crying on live TV.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
The remaining finalists are, in alphabetical order: Arbos, Janelle Arthur, Candice Glover, Kree Harrison, Holcomb, Angela Miller, Burnell Taylor and Velez.
Watch the video on RadarOnline.com
American Idol's 12th season continues next Wednesday on Fox at 8/7c.
