Now it's down to 12

Next up for the 'Idol' survivors: Lennon-McCartney.

By Sharon Fink, Times Staff Writer
Published March 7, 2008

The gay-club stripper. The rock 'n' roll nurse. The woman who swears she's never seen an R-rated movie. The female cage fighter. The foreigners fighting to get a piece of the American dream.

Characters in a new HBO series?

Nope. This year's American Idol Top 12.

After Americans cast more than 36-million votes, according to host Ryan Seacrest, the field was cut from 16 on Thursday to the group of wanna-be superstars that gets the most attention on the country's most-watched, and gossiped-about, TV show.

The 12 include, in order of their previous description, David Hernandez, Amanda Overmyer, Brooke White, Kristy Lee Cook, and Carly Smithson and Michael Johns.

Booted for not making the country interested enough to vote for them were Britney Spears impersonator Kady Malloy; Luke Menard, who has a grandmother in Homosassa; Asia'h Epperson and Danny Noriega.

Once again, none of the eliminations was surprising. It had been only a matter of time before Malloy and Menard were gone. Apart from their dearth of personality (and scandal), neither was consistent enough vocally to be a front-runner.

Idols still in

Top 12

Guys: David Archuleta, 17, Murray, Utah; Jason Castro, 20, Rockwall, Texas; David Cook, 25, Tulsa, Okla.; Chikezie Eze, 22, Inglewood, Calif.; David Hernandez, 24, Glendale, Ariz.; Michael Johns, 29, Los Angeles by way of Australia. Girls: Kristy Lee Cook, 24, Selma, Ore.; Ramiele Malubay, 20, Miramar; Syesha Mercado, 21, Miami; Amanda Overmyer, 23, Mulberry, Ind.; Carly Smithson, 24, San Diego by way of Ireland; Brooke White, 24, Van Nuys, Calif.

Watch it

TheTop 12 do the songs of John Lennon and Paul McCartney at 8 p.m. Tuesday, and the voting results are announced at 9 p.m. Wednesday, both on WTVT-Ch. 13.

[Last modified March 7, 2008, 00:00:37]