The show must go on...without Paris

It’s the end of the road for Princess P; Paris Bennett that is. The 17 year old “American Idol” contestant from Fayetteville, Ga. sang her last songs on the Idol stage last night during the program’s weekly results show.

Host Ryan Seacrest, also an Atlanta native, informed Bennett that she was in the bottom two along with contestant Elliott Yamin, signifying that they were the contestants with the lowest number of votes.

Bennett started her journey on the show with an audition in Greensboro, NC where she impressed the judges with her rendition of “Cowboy Take Me Away” by The Dixie Chicks. But it was her second audition song, “Take Five” by Billie Holiday, that really knocked the judges out.

Early buzz on the Internet had speculations that Bennett would go far in the competition. The New York Post’s Adam Buckman went so far to say that the contest was over and a probable winner had emerged.

Bennett sailed through Hollywood Week, and it was no surprise when she was selected to be one of the top 12 girls in the competition. After all, singing and performing are in her genes. Her grandmother, Ann Nesby, is a Grammy Award winning gospel singer who formerly led the group The Sounds of Blackness and who has recently released the solo album “In The Spirit.”

During the three rounds of semifinals, when two guys and two girls were eliminated each week, Bennett showed off her performance skills and vocal talent with a performance of the song “Midnight Train to Georgia” as well as “Wind Beneath My Wings” and “Conga.”
Once the contestants had been whittled down to six guys and six girls, it was time for the finals. Bennett performed “All I Do” on the Stevie Wonder theme night and was met with rave reviews from the judges. Judge Simon Cowell even called her “brilliant.”

Bennett had another great performance when she sang Peggy Lee’s classic, “Fever.” This is the genre the judges felt best fits Bennett. Cowell said, “This is what you do best. You have the perfect voice for that song.”

Bennett continued to impress audiences with her performances of “Work It Out” and “How Do I Live” and showed audiences her inner rocker when she nailed “The Show Must Go On” by Queen.

She was back to doing what she does best in week six with “These Foolish Things” by Billie Holiday when all the contestants were to choose songs from Rod Stewart’s latest project, “The Great American Songbook.” Bennett made her first visit to the bottom three after her performance alongside Chris Daughtry and Ace Young, who was voted off.

Week seven saw Bennett sing “The Way We Were” by Barbra Streisand. The judges liked it, but thought it was a bit too old fashioned for her. Audiences seemed to agree as she was once again in the bottom two alongside country bumpkin Kellie Pickler.

Bennett survived the bottom group for the second week in a row, but it was the beginning of the end for the youngest contestant.

This week contestants performed two songs during the performance show on Tuesday night, one from their birth year and a top ten from the Billboard charts.

Bennett performed Prince’s “Kiss” from 1988 and Mary J. Blige’s “Be Without You.” While the judges didn’t love her first performance, they praised her second. Judge Randy Jackson said she “rocked it.”

But it was not enough for Bennett to stay in the competition. With 45.5 million votes cast, it was Bennett and Yamin in the bottom two.

Bennett performed “Kiss” before being told she would be going home. She handled the news with the poise and grace audiences have seen from her throughout the show, and had a smile on her face as she watched the video montage of her journey on Idol in the closing minutes of the show. As the credits began to roll, Bennett began performing “Be Without You.”

It may be the last time Bennett performs on the “American Idol” stage as a contestant, but the show isn’t through with her yet. The top ten contestants will embark on a national tour this summer which kicks off July 6 in Manchester, NH. The tour will make its way to Atlanta on August 3 when it stops at the Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Ga. Tickets will be on sale for the Atlanta date on Saturday, May 20 at 10 a.m. at Ticketmaster.com or any Ticketmaster vendor location.

While it would have been great to see her take home the title of American Idol, there is no doubt that Paris Bennett will be a success in life. Whether she chooses to go to medical school or pursue a career in music, this won’t be the last time we hear from Bennett.