Last Words: Fallen Idol Michael Johns says goodbye

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During a conference call with Michael Johns this morning, the media seemed to be unanimously perplexed by his ouster. Was it the song choice? asked one reporter. Was it the fact that he was Australian? pressed another. One reporter even wondered whether his ascot was to blame.

But Michael, for his part, didn’t want to dig into his past for clues. ‘[I have] absolutely no regrets at all, mate,’ Michael announced. He was also not interested in how his past success in the industry influenced voters, saying, ‘Did it help me or hurt me? I don’t know.’

One thing Michael does know, however, is that he managed to stay true to himself throughout the competition. ‘Just because it’s an enormous machine doesn’t mean you have to change with it,’ insisted Michael, adding that he was proud when his friends and family told him he never altered his persona for the cameras. Or, for that matter, for the judges.

Despite Simon Cowell’s feeling that Michael should abandon the rock genre in favor of his bluesy side, Michael stuck to his guns. ‘I’m gonna be a rock-soul singer,’ he asserted. ‘I’m gonna make that kind of record.’

But despite ignoring Simon’s advice, Michael conceded that ‘most times he’s on, and I respect his opinion very much.’ Michael did confess, however, that this had been a ‘weird judging year,’ citing what he saw as a phenomenal performance from Syesha that was panned by the judges. ‘I think Paula’s been spot-on this year,’ he added. Paula Abdul, of course, has been a fan of Michael’s all along.

And Paula wasn’t Michael’s only fan. After his elimination, Randy Jackson told Michael, ‘Dog, ya know, I can’t wait to see what you do with your career,’ and Simon told the audience that Michael was a very nice guy and that he’d miss him. ‘Hearing you’re a good guy from Simon, I mean, that’s really cool,’ Michael said.

Michael has also enjoyed an outpouring of support from the music industry. ‘I even got to speak to [Dolly Parton] this morning,’ he exclaimed. ‘It’s just so surreal to hear Dolly Parton saying, ‘I cant wait to sing a duet with you.’ ‘ Michael also ‘got a reach-out from Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman, saying that I was their favorite and they watched every week.’

As the interview wound down, only one question remained: How do Aussies drown their sorrows? ‘Beer or, uh, whatever,’ laughed Michael. ‘We’re a pretty good beer-drinking country, so that’s probably what I’m gonna do here in a little bit.’

-- Stephanie Lysaght