gustyfoyer87: Jacob Lusk Lets It Out On 'American Idol' With 'God Bless The Child'

Friday, February 18, 2011

Jacob Lusk Lets It Out On 'American Idol' With 'God Bless The Child'

Judge Steven Tyler tells singer's family to 'be proud' after emotional performance.
By Adam Graham

Jacob Lusk on "American Idol" on February 17, 2011
Photo: FOX

Where has "American Idol" been hiding Jacob Lusk?

The 23-year-old spa concierge from Compton, California, who had barely been seen prior to Thursday's (February 17) episode, stepped out in a big way during the final Hollywood Week show, flooring the judges and his fellow contestants with one of the most stunning, stirring auditions ever seen on the "Idol" stage.

Lusk, dressed in a pair of blue jeans and an untucked tuxedo shirt, hit the stage and gave a wildly original take on Billie Holiday's "God Bless the Child" that had him flexing his range from deep lows to high highs, and scatting between the lyrics. His expressive face contoured around each of the words, as he clenched his eyes tightly and flexed his eyebrows to give emphasis to each of his lines.

Jennifer Lopez looked puzzled by his unorthodox delivery at first, but it wasn't long before all three judges were screaming in amazement, with Steven Tyler leaning back in his seat and getting Randy Jackson's attention with a huge, "Woooooo-hoooooo!" Soon Lopez was whooping too, and all three judges — and a handful of Lusk's fellow contestants — were on their feet in the auditorium. As Lusk wrapped up, Tyler turned to Lusk's family in the audience and yelled, "Be proud!"

Lusk jumped up and down onstage after seeing his peers' and the judges' reactions and blew a kiss to the crowd before quickly darting out of the room. Outside, he was greeted by Ryan Seacrest and members of his family, and Lusk appeared physically and emotionally spent. He fell into his family members' arms and wailed with tears, before catching himself and explaining, "I'm not a cryer, I don't cry." Said Seacrest, "Coulda fooled me."

After the auditions, contestants were quarantined in four separate rooms as they awaited their fate from the judges. But it had to be a comfort for everyone in Lusk's room to know they were grouped with the man who just brought down the house onstage like few had before him, and sure enough, when it came time to deliver the news, they all graduated through to the next round.

What did you think of Jacob Lusk? Let us know in the comments!

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