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‘American Idol’: Fallen Idol Jason Castro says goodbye

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Over the past few months, there has been no shortage of rumors about Jason Castro. Did he mouth the words “don’t vote” after his performance last week? Did he forget the words to “Mr. Tambourine Man” on purpose? Of course not. And during a conference call with the media this morning, the fallen Idol was quick to clear up any misconceptions about his behavior on ‘American Idol.’ The lyric from “Mr. Tambourine Man” is “something that’s like written on your soul,” marveled Jason, “and somehow it slipped my mind.”

When the contestants began to perform two songs each week instead of one, things got rough for Jason. “My mind was just split, and I couldn’t deliver either-or,” he admitted, citing his lack of experience as one reason why learning two songs a week was so difficult. “I just started playing guitar my freshman year of college and started singing shortly thereafter. I’d never even learn a song all the way through.” Needless to say, if learning one song ‘all the way through’ was too much for Jason, learning two songs every week was near impossible. “I couldn’t fall in love with [two songs in one week],’ he added. ‘You need time for that.”

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And although in the end Jason’s inexperience may have been his undoing, it was also the thing that made him so endearing. “I am kinda as raw as it gets, and I haven’t done much of anything singing-wise, and maybe that’s good on TV,” mused Jason. “I dunno.”

So was Jason as relieved as he looked when he finally got eliminated Wednesday night? “I was as happy last night as I was when I found out I’d made the top 24,” Jason confessed, adding, “How am I gonna do three songs when I cant even do two right?”

When the conversation inevitably turned to Paula Abdul accidentally judging a song that Jason had not yet sang, Jason was amused. Whereas many in the blogosphere were convinced that the judges had it in for Jason and that Paula’s mistake affected Jason’s second performance, Jason shot down that theory. “That was kinda funny,” he chuckled, recalling the incident. “I was just kinda confused. … I don’t know. It was an honest mistake. And I don’t think it really affected my next performance.”

And just so you know, if Jason had stayed next week, he would have sung “Blue Eyes” by the Cary Brothers. “That one would have been good,” he proclaimed with a laugh, adding, “I don’t know about the other two.”

But even though he won’t get to perform “Blue Eyes,” Jason doesn’t seem too upset. “I just miss home,” he confessed. “I kinda miss working in the summers with my dad. … We design and build custom swimming pools. … I’d survey lots and clean pools and stuff.”

And when this overnight celebrity tells you that he misses cleaning “pools and stuff,” you can’t help but love him. Jason has managed to stay incomprehensibly grounded throughout the competition, largely thanks to his disinterest in what reporters like yours truly have to say about him. “I really don’t read anything, like everything y’all are probably ‘bout to write,” he confessed with a chuckle.

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-- Stephanie Lysaght

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