Philly's last remaining 'American Idol' contestant, Michael Woodard, voted off show
Michael J. Woodard was kicked off last night.
Philly's last local contestant on ABC's American Idol has been voted off the show after making it all the way to the top five performers this season.
Michael Woodard, 20, of East Falls, was eliminated from Idol's lineup on Sunday's show, which decided this year's top three performers. Woodard was eliminated alongside Texas native Cade Foehner, leaving Maddie Poppe of Iowa, Pittsburgh's Gabby Barrett, and Texas native Caleb Lee Hutchinson in the competition.
Sunday's episode was Mother's Day-themed in part, and included Woodard performing the 1998 track "Still I Rise" by Yolanda Adams for his mom, Wanda. Woodard also performed a rendition of country star Carrie Underwood's 2007 track, "Flat on the Floor," for which he sported a denim outfit.
Despite judge Katy Perry calling Woodard "exponentially special" following his Underwood performance, the Philly native was unable to capture America's vote. He was sent packing at the conclusion of the episode, much to many fans' disappointment:
With Woodard's elimination, Philly is officially out of local contestants on this year's run of Idol. Previously, the show featured Langhorne's Catie Turner, 17, West Philly native Dennis Lorenzo, 26, Mara Justine, 15, of Galloway, New Jersey, and Williamstown, New Jersey's Carley Moffa, 25.
Moffa was eliminated from the show earliest; she was kicked off in mid-April. Turner, Lorenzo, Justine, and Woodard made Idol's top 14 contestants by late April, but began to be removed from the show starting with Justine's elimination on April 22.
Lorenzo, meanwhile, was eliminated from Idol on April 29, followed by Turner on May 6.
Woodard, for his part, responded to his elimination on Twitter, writing that his leaving the show is "gods plan."
Woodard fans will get a chance to see Woodard and some of the other local contestants when Idol goes on tour this summer. The tour stops at the Tower Theater on August 14.
Idol concludes its season with a finale on Monday, May 21, at 9 p.m.