Michael John's Shocking Departure from American Idol

Tonight's departure of an American Idol favorite left the audience, the contestants and the judges gasping in disbelief. Michael Johns, with his Australian accent and good looks, was in the bottom three along with Syesha Mercado and Carly Smithson. Sadly, he was the one to go.

Syesha and Carly have had difficulty connecting with the audience as well as the judges during their performances, so it was not a huge surprise to see either of the 2 in the bottom 3 considering the high caliber of talent this year.

But Michael Johns has done a good job of connecting with his audience during his performances. He also has a knack for picking songs very much suited for his voice. The judges often have different opinions regarding his performances, but that is expected.

This weeks performance was "Dream On", and Michael sang it beautifully...as if the song was written for his voice. Still, he found he had to explain to Randy and Simon his reasons for choosing that song, because they didn't think it was the right song for him. Paula disagreed with them, and I totally agree with Paula. I thought his performance was stellar.

Tonight when the person going home was announced, shock was apparent on the faces of everyone, including Syesha and Carly. Even they realized one of them deserved to be sent home more than Michael did. Michael also appeared totally shocked when Ryan Seacrest asked him if he was surprised to be the one going home. He admitted that he was surprised because he felt he had picked a great song and had done his best with the song. Despite that, he handled it with grace.

If I was Michael Johns I wouldn't be too upset, however. I would imagine there are several record companies waiting in the wings to sign him. He has star appeal...and is the total package. Tonight was not an ending for him. It was the beginning of a bright career.

"Dream On", Michael...because I have a feeling your dream is about to come true.