In what was arguably one of the most dramatic moments in American Idol history, Top 13 contestant Casey Abrams was awarded season 10's one and only judges' save on the March 24 episode.
Abrams — in the bottom two with Stefano Langone — was visibly stunned by the rescue. "Are you kidding?!" the 20-year-old sputtered, trembling with the good news.
"Oh my God! It's unreal!" Abrams said, once Randy Jackson cut his "sing for your life" performance of "Don't Need No Doctor" off early. "I started singing and the fact that you cut it scared the stuff out of me!"
As the top 11 singers are whittled down to nine on Thursday's show, UsMagazine.com compiles a dossier on the singer who was given a second chance at stardom.
1. He's made good use of his judges' save — and isn't taking his second chance for granted. "One of the greatest saves we've ever had on the show [was] saving you. That was brilliant," Steven Tyler enthused after Abrams crooned Elton John's "Your Song" on the March 30 show.
2. Casey's quite the cut-up. "He's a serious musician but also really funny and lays it all on the line. That's rare," Idol mentor Tricky Stewart tells Us of Abrams. He's also got a big fan in judge Jennifer Lopez. "[Casey] is one of our most dynamic performers," she has said. "He's so interesting and so talented."
3. The singer — whose first concert was Tenacious D — appreciates music of all genres. Case in point? Lawrence Welk's Polkas album is among the discs in his collection.
4. The former camp counselor has had his fair share of heath scares throughout the competition due to his bout with ulcerative colitis. The medical condition, which causes abdominal pain and cramping, was reportedly at the root of Abrams' most recent trip to L.A.'s Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. "Hey guys, thanks for the well wishes, I got some nice fresh blood in me and feeling better," Abrams Tweeted March 10 after receiving two blood transfusions. "People at Idol & Cedars are treatin me real good."
5. He's well-versed in celebrity culture. "I'm legally changing my name to Casey Kardashian," he once tweeted. Later, the singer proudly posted Twit Pics of himself with Amanda Seyfried and Lance Bass.
Tell Us: Does Casey deserve to stick around on Idol?
By Allison Corneau for UsMagazine.com. For more Channel Surfing, click here.
