Rocker James Durbin, fighting tears of disbelief, was thrown off “American Idol” on Thursday as viewers chose their Top 3 on the TV singing show. Durbin, 22, who was widely seen as a sure bet for going all the way to the finals, got the least number of votes despite universal praise from the judges during the week of inspirational songs. His shock departure left 17-year-old country singer Scotty McCreery, pop/country singer Lauren Alaina, 16, and Haley Reinhart, 20, to compete for a place in the finale.
“I worked so damn hard and I was hoping to get there,” said a stunned Durbin, tears streaming down his face. “But I did so much stuff that’s never been done on the show. I did what I came here to do, and that was to give metal a chance,” he declared. Durbin, who suffers from the tic disorder Tourette syndrome and describes himself as a high-functioning autistic, made a name for himself on the top-rated show with a series of hard rock performances, often against the advice of in-house mentor Jimmy Iovine. “Idol” has increased its audience this year after three years of slipping ratings, thanks mostly to the arrival of new judges Jennifer Lopez and Aerosmith rocker Steven Tyler.