Goodbye my little dreadlocked lovely...

So it had to happen eventually. Jason Castro just wasn't cut out for American Idol and was sadly sent packing last night. But maybe it's not so sad after all. He expressed how daunting the task had become in recent weeks to learn more than one song in a matter of days and he had also become a bit bewildered by all the crazy attention from his fans. And as I drove to work this morning listening to his hauntingly beautiful version of "Over the Rainbow" I reflected on that humble, everyman quality that I loved most about Jason. He was a really wonderful person and I hope, despite his aversion to the rock 'n roll lifestyle, that he stays in the music industry for a long time.

And with that, I conclude this entry with some fine words from the peeps at E-dubs who read my mind and put it in print...

By the end of Ruben Studdard's "Celebrate Me Home", Jason admitted to being a little relieved, especially since he would have had to learn three more songs before next Tuesday's top-three performance show. "I don't know what I would've done," he said with a chuckle, alluding to his prior comment that his inexperience had started to catch up with him, causing him to forget the lyrics of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man."

And though I was disappointed, perhaps even a little angry, after Jason seemingly threw in the towel on Tuesday, I have to admit I howled when he cheerfully recounted to Ryan that "somebody told me I shot the tambourine man." After all, it was Jason's refreshing lack of camera readiness, his random, bewildered sound bites, that made me a fan in the first place. And let's not forget that for a guy who didn't get a second of significant airtime until week 1 of the semifinals, Jason exceeded expectations, leaving behind a pretty long list of memorable performances, including "Daydream," "I Just Want to Be Your Everything," "Hallelujah," "If I Fell," "Travelin' Thru," "Over the Rainbow," "I Don't Wanna Cry," "Memory" (which I still contend was touching, and misunderstood by Simon and Randy), and "Forever in Blue Jeans."