or


[03/10/06 - 12:00 AM]
Top 12 Finalists Revealed as Ayla Brown, Kinnik Sky, Will Makar and Gedeon Mckinney Are Eliminated from the "American Idol" Competition

[via press release from FOX]

TOP 12 FINALISTS REVEALED AS AYLA BROWN, KINNIK SKY, WILL MAKAR AND GEDEON McKINNEY ARE ELIMINATED FROM THE "AMERICAN IDOL" COMPETITION

THE COUNTDOWN TO THE NEXT AMERICAN IDOL CONTINUES; NEXT WEEK, GUYS AND GIRLS COMPETE TOGETHER ON "AMERICAN IDOL" TUESDAY, MARCH 14, ON FOX One Finalist Will Be Sent Home On the Results Show, Wednesday, March 15

The amazing fifth season of AMERICAN IDOL reached a crescendo last night, when the Top 12 finalists were revealed. With 46 million votes cast after Tuesday and Wednesday's performance shows, the viewers decided who should remain in the quest to become the next AMERICAN IDOL. It was revealed that the journey ended for Ayla Brown, Kinnik Sky, Will Makar and Gedeon McKinney after they received the fewest votes. Brown, from Wrentham, MA, sang "Unwritten," while Sky, of Duluth, GA, sang "If I Ain't Got You." Makar, who lives in The Woodlands, TX, entertained the audience with "How Sweet It Is," and McKinney, from Memphis, TN, sang "When a Man Loves a Woman." Season four contestant Bo Bice returned to the AMERICAN IDOL stage, performing his hit single "The Real Thing."

Next week, the competition on television's hottest show heats up when the guys (Kevin Covais, Bucky Covington, Chris Daughtry, Taylor Hicks, Elliott Yamin and Ace Young) and the girls (Paris Bennett, Mandisa, Melissa McGhee, Katharine McPhee, Kellie Pickler and Lisa Tucker) compete head-to-head for the first time on Tuesday, March 14 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed). The theme for the performance show will be "the music of Stevie Wonder." Tune in the following night to see who receives enough votes to stay in the competition and who is sent home on the live results show Wednesday, March 15 (9:00-9:30 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX.

Meet your 12 Finalists:

PARIS BENNETT - (17) From Fayetteville, GA - (Auditioned in Greensboro) - Paris began singing at the age of 4. She has performed in numerous concerts and has opened for many groups, including Bow Wow. Paris is a skilled dancer in hip-hop, jazz and modern African dance.

MANDISA - (29) From Antioch, TN (Auditioned in Chicago) - Born and raised in Citrus Heights, CA, Mandisa moved to Nashville to study singing at Fisk University. She has performed with such artists as Shania Twain, Trisha Yearwood, Faith Hill and Charlie Daniels.

MELISSA McGHEE - (21) From Tampa, FL (Auditioned in Denver) - Melissa was born and raised in Tampa. At the young age of 4 Melissa embarked on her performing career. A true romantic, Melissa enjoys singing, dancing and going to the beach in her free time.

KATHARINE McPHEE - (21) From Sherman Oaks, CA (Auditioned in San Francisco) - Katharine was born and raised in Los Angeles. She was exposed at an early age to the joy of singing by her mother, a vocal coach. After high school, Katharine attended the prestigious Boston Conservatory for one semester and majored in musical theater.

KELLIE PICKLER - (19) From Albemarle, NC (Auditioned in Greensboro) - Kellie is a waitress who currently lives in Albemarle, NC, and enjoys singing, dancing and shopping for shoes. Kellie has been singing for as long as she can remember, but only began performing for crowds four years ago.

LISA TUCKER - (16) From Anaheim, CA (Auditioned in Denver) - Lisa is currently a senior at Kennedy High School. She was the original "Young Nala" in Disney's Los Angeles production of "The Lion King" and was voted by Variety as one of the "Top Ten Talents to Watch." Lisa also plays the guitar and piano and is a songwriter.

KEVIN COVAIS - (16) From Levittown, NY (Auditioned in Boston) - Kevin is a junior at Island Trees High School in Levittown, NY. He has been performing since he was 10 years old and has appeared in productions such as "Guys and Dolls" and "Godspell." Kevin also is a member of the Chorale in the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra and the Nassau/Suffolk Jazz ensemble.

BUCKY COVINGTON - (28) From Rockingham, NC (Auditioned in Greensboro) - Bucky lives in his hometown of Rockingham, NC. At the age of 19, he picked up a guitar for the first time and soon after joined his first band. About two years ago, Bucky switched to a country/beach/rock band and realized that his talent crosses many types of music.

CHRIS DAUGHTRY - (26) From McLeansville, NC (Auditioned in Denver) - Chris discovered his singing ability in algebra class. A gifted guitar player and songwriter, Chris has already recorded a CD with his band Absent Element. For the past three years, Chris has been a service advisor for a car dealership in Greensboro, NC. In 2000, Chris married his wife Deanna and became a stepfather of two.

TAYLOR HICKS - (29) From Birmingham, AL (Auditioned in Las Vegas) - Taylor is a blue-eyed soul singer who has played every honky-tonk imaginable. A talented writer and harmonica player, Taylor enters the competition with almost 29 years of singing experience, as he has been singing since he could crawl.

ELLIOTT YAMIN - (27) From Richmond, VA (Auditioned in Boston) - Elliott began singing at 5 and his mother, who was a professional singer, is his inspiration and biggest fan. For Elliott, being on AMERICAN IDOL has allowed him to pursue his dream of singing professionally.

ACE YOUNG - (25) From Los Angeles, CA (Auditioned in Denver) - Ace is the youngest of five brothers. Ace grew up in Boulder, CO, and began his singing career at age 9. He started performing at 11 in local malls and recreation centers. Ace lives in Los Angeles and works in sales and home remodeling.

Fourteen-time Emmy-nominated AMERICAN IDOL is created and executive-produced by Simon Fuller, founder of 19 Entertainment, Ltd.; and executive-produced by Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO, FremantleMedia North America, Inc.; Nigel Lythgoe, President, 19 Television; and Ken Warwick, Executive Producer, FremantleMedia North America, Inc.

Go to AmericanIdol.com for all of your AMERICAN IDOL news. Check out the photos from the different audition cities, along with special, behind-the-scenes information on AMERICAN IDOL.





  [march 2006]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
   


· AMERICAN IDOL (ABC)





[09/12/25 - 09:18 AM]
Tubi Presents New Docuseries "Always, Lady London" Premiering Exclusively on Tubi October 10
Directed and executive produced by Erika Bryant, the three-part documentary series was greenlit under Tubi's new content incubator, Stubios, a fan-fueled studio for aspiring content creators and their fans.

[09/12/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Is It Cake? Halloween" - A Spooktacular Sneak Peek - Netflix
"Is It Cake?" returns for a special Halloween season with Mikey Day and nine of the best hyper-realistic cake artists around!

[09/12/25 - 08:31 AM]
Netflix Renews "The Hunting Wives" for Season 2 Globally
Season 2 will release exclusively as a Netflix-branded series in nearly all countries where Netflix is available, with the original cast set to reprise their roles in Season 2.

[09/12/25 - 08:08 AM]
ESPN Re-Signs Michael Eaves to New Multi-Year Contract
Eaves will continue his hosting duties on "SportsCenter" along with contributing to ESPN's coverage of golf majors.

[09/12/25 - 07:35 AM]
Peacock Exclusively Streams "M3GAN 2.0" Beginning September 26
The unrated edition will also stream exclusively on Peacock that same day.

[09/12/25 - 06:04 AM]
ID Sets October Premieres for New Series "The Friday the 13th Murders" & New Season of "The Real Murders on Elm Street"
Both series will premiere back-to-back on Wednesday, October 1 beginning at 9:00/8:00c.

[09/12/25 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Swim to Me" - Official Trailer - Netflix
The gripping family drama tells the story of the intense relationship between Estela, a domestic worker, and the six-year-old girl she takes care of day and night.

[09/12/25 - 05:31 AM]
ESPN Networks Deliver Most-Watched WNBA Regular Season Ever
ESPN networks aired eight of the top 10 most-watched WNBA games during the 2025 season, highlighted by its most-watched WNBA game ever - 2.7 million viewers for Chicago Sky at Indiana Fever on May 17 (ABC).

[09/12/25 - 12:01 AM]
Video: "Heweliusz" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A disaster on the Baltic Sea, a complicated investigation, and the fight of the victims' families for the truth and the good name of those lost at sea.

[09/11/25 - 08:01 PM]
Netflix Marks 10 Years in Japan, Announces Three New Series That Will Keep You Hitting The "Next Episode"
"Straight to Hell," "Did Someone Happen to Mention Me?" and "STEEL BALL RUN JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" are all on tap.

[09/11/25 - 05:01 PM]
New International Crime Series "Road" (wt) Explores Twisted Murders Across Borders
The international crime thriller follows two detectives as they track a series of gruesome cross-border murders, characterized by twisted bodies and mysterious dying messages.

[09/11/25 - 12:01 PM]
Apple TV+ Renews Global Hit, Epic Sci-Fi Saga "Foundation" for Season Four
The season three finale debuts globally this Friday, September 12 on Apple TV+.

[09/11/25 - 12:00 PM]
Two Unforgettable Nights of Music Coming to CBS This Fall
Look for "A Grammy Salute to Earth, Wind & Fire Live: The 21st Night of September" and "A Grammy Salute to Cyndi Lauper: Live from the Hollywood Bowl" in the coming weeks.

[09/11/25 - 11:00 AM]
Special Show Moments Announced for the "77th Emmy Awards," Sept. 14 on CBS
Plus: Brad Garrett, Young Mazino, S. Epatha Merkerson, Hunter Schafer, Ray Romano and Ice T have been added as presenters.

[09/11/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: BET+ Releases Trailer for Horror-Thriller "Fatal Detour"
In the film, a demented tech genius lures unsuspecting influencers into his nightmarish mansion by hacking their luxury electric vehicles.