American Idol Part 2

Jeff Archuleta, in an interview with Us Magazine, denied the claim. A May 2008 Associated Press article erroneously reported that Jeff Archuleta had his son add a lyric from the Sean Kingston song “Beautiful Girls” into a rendition of “Stand by Me” (from which “Beautiful Girls” samples its bass line), increasing the costs for licensing, and that this had resulted in Jeff Archuleta being banned from American Idol backstage rehearsals. David defended his father calling him “a great guy” who keeps him grounded.

During the Top 7 results show, the contestants were split into two groups. In one group was Syesha Mercado, Brooke White, and Kristy Lee Cook. In the other group was David Cook, Carly Smithson, and Jason Castro. Archuleta was the only one not sorted into a group. He was declared safe after the groups were formed, then was asked to choose the group he thought was safe. He refused, and sat down on the floor of the stage, much like Melinda Doolittle had done the previous season.

In the finale he sang “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me“, “In This Moment” and “Imagine“. Judge Simon Cowell declared that Archuleta won the evening and even David Cook, who ultimately won, thought Archuleta would win: “I have to concede it, the kid came out all three songs and nailed it”, said Cook. In the final tally, Archuleta received 44 percent of the votes. During the finale show, identical commercials featuring Archuleta and fellow finalist Cook mimicked the Tom Cruise scene from Risky Business where he dances in his underwear playing an air guitar; they were promoting the game franchise Guitar Hero.