'American Idol' Final Two

LOS ANGELES — Danny Gokey is dancing off "American Idol," leaving showy Adam Lambert and twangy Kris Allen to duke it out in the finale of the popular Fox singing competition next week.

Gokey, the bespectacled 29-year-old church music director and recent widower from Milwaukee, was revealed to have received the fewest viewer votes on Wednesday.

Gokey had continually impressed the judges with his husky voice _ but not his hip shaking _ throughout the contest. "Idol" judge Simon Cowell called his cover of Joe Cocker's version of "You Are So Beautiful" on Tuesday a "vocal master class" but said his dancing during Terence Trent D'Arby's "Dance Little Sister" was "desperate."

Along with Lambert, Gokey had long been considered to be a front-runner of the eighth season, never appearing as one of the show's bottom vote-getters. "Idol" host Ryan Seacrest said more than 88 million votes were received with 1 million votes separating the top two singers, meaning next week's Lambert-Allen showdown may be closer than anticipated.

"Look, none of us would have predicted this, guys," Cowell said at the end of the show.

The episode kicked off with "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" stars Ben Stiller, Hank Azaria, Bill Hader and Jonah Hill starring in a plug masquerading as a skit about the "Idol" judges' desk being inducted into the Smithsonian. It wasn't a joke. The perch will be on display at the Smithsonian Institution Building in the coming weeks.

Before the results viewers saw Alicia Keys urging fans to support her charity, a 15-year-old Rwandan rapper named Noah, sixth-season champ Jordin Sparks, videos of the final three singers' trips to their hometowns and an over-the-top performance by Katy Perry.

Gokey just wanted to cut to the chase.

"I think we've had enough suspense, enough commercials, just enough playing around," he said. "Let's just get to it."

"I want to see Katy Perry!" Lambert exclaimed in response.

The feeling was apparently mutual. Perry made her love for Lambert no secret. The "I Kissed a Girl" singer crooned her latest single, "Waking Up in Vegas," with a troupe of glittery showgirls while wearing a scantily clad Elvis-inspired ensemble that was initially covered in a cape emblazoned with Lambert's name.

Either Lambert, a 27-year-old theater actor from San Diego, or Allen, a 23-year-old college student from Conway, Ark., will be crowned "Idol" next Wednesday. Cowell said Allen's totally stripped-down version of Kanye West's "Heartless" on Tuesday made him a contender for the finale.

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On the Net:

http://www.americanidol.com/

Comments

[MarCanada]

11:11 PM on 05/15/2009

I can show you a dozen polls showing ADAM to be the favourite. You can twist things any way you want, but ADAM is the true talent. He's a star, while Kris is just good. ADAM, vote for ADAM! Really, he hasn't had a bad performance, and the world is on his side! And he's a humble star at that!

[bambilashes]

10:50 PM on 05/14/2009

Well the world thinks Adam will win see the Five Reasons Adam Lambert Can Win American Idol:
Five Reasons Kris Allen Will Win American Idol: Number 1. Danny Gokey’s more conservative fans will probably go to the guy who doesn’t paint his nails and make out with dudes at Burning Man—and Bill O’Reilly still might freak out over Adam’s National Anthem. Take our poll and see the results http://movies09.com/kris-allen-vs-adam-lambert-who-will-win.php

[nik101]

10:07 PM on 05/14/2009

Kris was bold on Tuesday evening by singing Kayne West's 'Heartless' If you go to Kayne's blog, he even has a video of Kris' performance. All this said, Adam Lambert has the qualities to be a star with longevity. Even Steven Tyler and Bono has given him the rights to sing their songs, something they never do. Tyler charges so much money, no one ever touches his songs. Bono only allows the use for a cause. This is testament of how talented they feel he is. American Idol has been revitalized and transformed by Adam Lambert. He makes the show relevant. Let's wish him the best.

[SadieGirl]

08:58 PM on 05/15/2009

Well said. Adam is the best I have seen on all 8 seasons of AI. He's been true to himself through the entire season, so creative with every song I can't wait to see each week what song he's going to sing and how he's going to use his creative genius to make it outstanding. I thought the whole purpose was to find the most talent individual with stage presence, talent and who knows who they are. Kris has a very nice voice with a nice timber to his voice. He has no stage presence and zero personality. He'll make records along that nice soft rock, easy listening. But if America wants an actual 'star quality' winner, Adam is it. I'm middle age and I think Adam is awesome. After 8 years of good singers, he's outstanding. I hate to see the season end.

[SaddieMcCall]

09:51 PM on 05/14/2009

From People's interview:

The Idol said he didn’t begrudge judge Simon Cowell’s Tuesday-night plea that people vote for Lambert. “That’s what he believes is going to make the most money,” Gokey said. “I didn’t get into this thing for the money. I didn’t get into it so I can live this glamorous lifestyle. My goal is so different, and maybe it didn’t line up with what they see as a pop star.”

He also plans to focus on growing Sophia’s Heart, the foundation he started because of his wife last year, perhaps using proceeds from a planned line of eyeglasses. But Gokey, who estimates he now owns at least 50 pairs of glasses, doesn’t just plan to craft a line of specs: “I would love to be an eyeglasses model,” he said. “That would be so cool.”

----It always seemed that Gokey was doing the LensCrafter heart hand logo at the end of his performances, wonder if LensCrafter gave Gokey his 35 new pairs of glasses he acquire while on American Idol?

[Jesse rogers]

09:45 AM on 05/15/2009

Actually, he has already signed to star in a Russian spy thriller film called "Gokey Park."

[Tagrid]

10:46 AM on 05/17/2009

An eyeglasses MODEL??? LOL Oh man, that's just tooooo EASY! LOL

EWWWWwwwwww!

[housecalls50]

09:46 PM on 05/14/2009

Danny should have been in the final because he was the only pure singer left in the contest after Matt Giraud left and since it a singing contest...a pure singer should be in the mix...in the words of Simon...what Danny did with You are So Beautiful was a "vocal Master Class".
Since it is clear that some of you only know what you like and less about the technicals of singing...you can continue to disrespect what Danny Gokey brought to the show but Kris does not belong in the finals and since we are talking about what people like and not who is best, I liked Adam at first but since he took every song to the same place (Mad, Mad World - exception), I will be happy to never see his screaming tongue hanging from his mouth...he bores me to tears. Hopefully when his disc comes out his producres will add some substance to his overly tinny voice because the single recordings done by 19 Entertainment reveal the worst characteristics of his voice. Adam is a performer who is insanely comfortable onstage...he exudes confidence and he is a better singer than Kris but he is NOT a better singer than Danny.

[LAD66]

10:13 AM on 05/15/2009

I totally agree with you. I've been getting tired of Adam's high screaming in almost every song. You can make a song great without doing that. I hope he does something different next week, I would like to see just how talented he actually is. He has to have it in him with all he training he has had over the years.

[SadieGirl]

09:04 PM on 05/15/2009

Sorry but Danny has no creative ability and no stage presence. He was awful last week also. I did not think his rendition of 'You are so Beautiful' was so great. He is the only one that got all the free TV time before the season, as they were pushing for him to win. You didn't see Kris, Allison or Adam. Always the story that is to tug your heartstrings and get votes. I wouldn't waste my money on Danny's record. But, to each his own.

[colleen90405]

07:19 PM on 05/14/2009

Did anyone notice Kris had his thumbnail painted w/ dark nail polish? Check the photos online. There's one you can actually see that all of Adam's nails are painted except the thumbnail - the same thumb that Kris has painted. Kinda cool buddy bonding - who knew they were pals?!

[Tagrid]

01:38 AM on 05/15/2009

Each of the final 10 contestants were assigned a roommate when they moved into the mansion - Kris and Danny were assigned to share a room - and have continued to throughout the competition. They have both stated that they were happy with the assignment as they are both "neat freaks."

[Tagrid]

01:44 AM on 05/15/2009

CORRECTION: Sorry - brain freeze - I meant to say Kris and Adam have been roommates throughout the competition.

[kylennblack]

07:14 PM on 05/14/2009

Excellent! The best two guys made the finals, yay!

Clueless Danny was in waaay over his head and should have gone home a long time ago.

[SadieGirl]

09:05 PM on 05/15/2009

DITTO

[tallturtle]

05:08 PM on 05/14/2009

I figured out early in process that the contestants broke into two categories: Adam Lambert and everybody else. He stands out head and shoulders above the rest.

But sometimes I wonder Kris Allen walks around, he's got such big cojones! The guts it takes to walk out on stage before millions of people and perform a song accompanied only by your own guitar is incredible!

[Hemkit]

05:06 PM on 05/14/2009

I think Kris may end up winning. Why? A) When have viewers ever voted talent over their favorites (Sanjaya, Megan Corkery, Michaela Gordon, Jasmine Trias, etc.) B) I think the majority of the previous Danny voters will be more inclined to vote for Kris over Adam. C) If you were Adam, wouldn't you rather be in 2nd place and not be tied down to the Idol machine for the next few years?
Personally, I would have liked to have seen Adam and Allison in the finale. Oh well.

[libwingoflibwing]

05:22 PM on 05/14/2009

As to your point A. I voted for Sanjaya. I liked him. I wanted him on the show.

But I wouldn't have voted for him in the finale.

Also, tell me what year Sanjaya, Megan, Michaela and Jasmine were the American Idol?

[thelipstickfemme]

04:29 PM on 05/14/2009

I voted 30 times for Adam. I wished that Alison was in the final against Adam. Rocker against Rocker that would be a tense situation with lots of excitement. How with Kris, it is boring as hell.

I hope Adam wins just for the title, but without the win he will still be very big.

[madfigs]

04:44 PM on 05/14/2009

Isn't it better not to win the title if you can actually make it on your own, so you aren't locked in a contract with american idol's record label?

[singlemalt]

06:00 PM on 05/14/2009

That's a good question. I wonder if Simon also has first dibs on the runner-up, though?

[Tagrid]

01:52 AM on 05/15/2009

The final 10 ALL had to sign a contract with 19 Entertainment in order to be able to stay on the program. When each is eliminated 19 Entertainment has the OPTION of also signing it - or not. So none of the eliminated 9 are guaranteed a contract, but you can bet they've already exercised their Option in Adam's case - win or lose.

[Fletch17C]

03:57 PM on 05/14/2009

I am definitely NOT a Gokey fan, but I will come to his defense regarding one matter: Some of his fans have made nasty homophobic remarks about Adam Lambert on message boards. Danny Gokey himself does not seem to encourage or agree with such remarks. In one of his post-Idol interviews, Gokey came right out and said, "Adam is just an all-in-all great guy."

So...some of Gokey's fans are idiots. I'm sure some of Kris and Adam's fans are idiots too. Gay bashing is a very serious accusation. We really need to be fair about this.

[SadieGirl]

09:18 PM on 05/15/2009

If Adam is or is not gay should not play any part in how one votes, however we live in America. This country is terrified of gay people. We're such a homophobic society. I am concerned if Kris wins, it will only be because of the rumors around Adam. Although Kris has a nice voice, he's not a star. Adam is a real star.

[communista1986]

03:30 PM on 05/14/2009

Adam Lambert could out-sing Kris on any note, any day of the week.

It's really a matter of physics and genetics when it comes down to it. Due to years of musical theater, Adam's vocal chords have grown incredibly deep, with multiple textures and an outrageous range. Practice does make perfect, and for Adam, it has paid off!

Kris really REALLY strains his neck when singing (watch it!), the muscles flex, tightening around the vocal chords and results in a weaker, John Meyer or Jason Miraz quality. During "Rock Week," his struggles were apparent to the judges. And I can honestly say I will forget about Kris and his one octave range after the finale.

American Idol is a SINGING competition. And there really is no competition here. Adam out-sings Kris hand's down.

[libwingoflibwing]

04:17 PM on 05/14/2009

I'm a big Adam fan too. But you under estimate Kris. Kris has a definite future as a teen heart throb. Expect to see him in movies and TV shows too.

It doesn't matter which one wins, they'll both be big. And so will Danny (and Jamaar)....in the Christian Contemporary genre.

[bbsitter]

04:20 PM on 05/14/2009

I think Kris would be the first to admit that he is shocked he is in the final. Also, I believe that this opens up much more opportunity for him than he would have ever had. Even if he just makes one record and he lives off of the tween's bucks for a year, it will set him for life. He probably knows Adam should win, and is just happy to be where he is.

Adam has worked hard to get here and deserves our congrats and praise. I liked how he talked to those aspiring child performers. He was born with it, as we saw in his home videos. He has always wanted to be a star, so I believe it is his destiny.

[Cowboylove]

03:23 PM on 05/14/2009

The top four were all very very good. Asam has that It factor that stars are made of. Kris allen seems destined to ba country music star no matter what.

Danny Gokey - the church guy - showed a surprising lack of generosity to his fellow contestants. He made fun of Matt Giraud and Kris quite often, was a poor team player with Kris, was rumored to have participated in the outing of his biggest rival Adam Lambert.

Gokey still thinks he is better than is.

[Charity]

03:36 PM on 05/14/2009

i tend to agree. plus, that food fight was pretty bad with an underaged kid, too. if the producers didn't try to stop it, they have no one else to blame for themselves. but personally, that food fight was pretty disgusting.

[macbabe]

05:51 PM on 05/14/2009

wow... I thought it was funny and was giggling and I am 53 years old LOL

[SadieGirl]

09:27 PM on 05/15/2009

I thought that food fight was so unbelievably immature. And when Ryan handed him the cleaning bill for over $6,000.00 just said 'I though AI would just pay it', like he just assumed they'd cover it form him as if he had not done over $6,000.00 in damage. I was stunned that some guy who was touting his 'church boy' attitude would have the audacity to think it was funny. I was surprised he was not voted off the week after that stunt. But I guess in this day of assuming someone else will pick up the tab for your mess, I should not have been so surprised. How disrespectful. And he is the only one I think who has not been humble about being giving such great opportunities. I thought he was a jerk the whole season, and his singing was a snooze.

[LAD66]

02:57 PM on 05/14/2009

I have always liked all 3 of the last contestants. Danny has been my favorite because I like his style. We should not be acting like children, we should look at their talent and style, not what they believe in (like sex preference). Everyone is intitled to their own opinions. Whether or not Danny was behind any of the homosexual comments shouldn't matter-he's a Christian and has as much right as you do to make an opinion. It's too bad for someone as good as Danny have people judge him and use that to not vote for him-you don't like to be judged! Talent is what matters on American Idol-get over it!!!! I don't agree with homosexuality either, along with all other sin, but I won't use that as my reason to vote either way (we all sin!). As a Christian myself, we are to love the person no matter what, but we don't have to agree with the lifestyle! I truly believe that Danny feels the same way! If Adam is better than Kris next week, I'll vote for him and if Kris is better than Adam, I'll vote for Kris. May the best man win - but I will be buying Danny's records, too!!

[libwingoflibwing]

04:22 PM on 05/14/2009

I agree with you that judging others is bad.

BUT I reserve the right to judge others for and only for judging others. I am tolerant of everything that doesn't hurt others and intolerance hurts others.

[M1]

02:31 PM on 05/14/2009

Of the two finalists left, Adam has the most singing talent. Yet, Kris is ever so adorable. I wish them both well. But my money is on Adam.