"Idol" Race Ends for Ace

Thu., Apr. 20, 2006 9:15 AM PDT by Sarah Hall

That's all for Ace Young.

The 25-year-old Denver native, who won more accolades for his heartthrob looks than his so-so vocals, was the latest contestant to be eliminated from American Idol Wednesday night.

Fittingly, Young's final song choice was the retro classic "That's All." On Tuesday night, he took the stage in a suit and tie, his trademark flowing locks slicked back in a tight ponytail, and gave a performance that Simon Cowell deemed "charming," if "a little bit nasally."

Despite generally positive feedback from the judges, Young found himself once again in the bottom three, and this time, there was no reprieve.

Young kept his composure upon receiving the news, while several of the other contestants dissolved into tears.

"I've had a blast," Young said. "I can't wait to perform with all the top 10 and see all my fans that have seen me through the TV."

Young barely managed to skirt elimination last week after his risky rendition of Queen's "We Will Rock You," an arrangement which even the legendary rockers seemed to hate when Young laid it out for them.

"That I can't do. Not to my own song. I can't do that, " Brian May was shown telling Young, as he asked the rockers to alter the song's beat to show off a bit of his "own flavor."

However, May took to his own Website to explain that he felt that his interaction with Young was misrepresented on the show.

"This conversation, in my book, ought to have been private, but that is not the style of the show, sadly," May wrote. "But the even more unfortunate thing is that you are then in the hands of the video editors, who seem to seize with glee anything that looks negative."

"It was edited in such a way that it looked as if I was purely negative--they very naughtily inserted a bit that I said about 'not on my own song' so it appeared that I said it AFTER we had played together, which was not the way it happened...making me look like I was against the whole thing. But this was not the case."

Despite Cowell's criticism that he "really, really, really hated" the performance, Young squeaked by for another week. However, his luck could only hold out for so long.

Joining Young in the loser's circle Wednesday were Paris Bennett and--in a first-time shocker--Chris Daughtry, whose performance of "What a Wonderful World" won rave reviews from the judges.

One contestant who may have been surprised to skirt the bottom three was Kellie Pickler, who opined that she "butchered" her own performance of "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered." The humility apparently paid off, as enough viewers picked Pickler to keep her in contention.

On the other hand, Katharine McPhee most likely never even entertained thoughts of winding up at the low end of the vote tally after the glowing critiques she received for her performance of "Someone To Watch Over Me."

"I loved it--it was excellent!" Randy Jackson told her, while Paula Abdul bubbled, "You picked the perfect song that is so...you. Congratulations, you are elegant."

But it was Cowell who really got effusive with the praise.

"I really think, Katharine, you made the others look like good amateurs," he said. "It was in a completely and utterly different league. You look like a returning pro."

Wednesday's elimination episode also featured a performance of "The Way You Look Tonight," by Rod Stewart, who served as the week's celebrity coach.

Idol continues to dominate the ratings, with 27.5 million viewers tuning in for Tuesday's show.

Next week, the remaining six finalists: Bennett, Daughtry, Pickler, McPhee, Elliot Yamin and Taylor Hicks will perform classic love songs with the help of celebrity coach Andrea Bocelli, who will perform live on Wednesday's results show.

The Idol winner will be announced May 24.