Southampton - The charismatic Paul McDonald (26) was voted off on Thursday's program. McDonald sang Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock And Roll" from the film "Risky Business" on Wednesday's show, and received a warm reception from both the judges and audience - but it was not enough to carry him forth into the final 'lucky seven.'

An established audience favorite, this distinctive vocalist and musician with the dazzling smile did not appear that fazed when he was sent to the bottom three, along with Stefano Longone and Haley Reinhart - both making their fourth trip to the bottom three. This was McDonald's second and final trip to the hot seat.

Required to "sing your way out of here" according to host Ryan Seacrest, McDonald performed "Maggie May" by Rod Stewart at the request of judge Jennifer Lopez. Encouraging the other contestants to not be sad, McDonald displayed the total professionalism and charm that earned him a place on the Idol stage, along with his raspy voice and consummate musicanship - not to mention his wild floral suits that caused a bit of envy from judge Steven Tyler - McDonald will certainly continue his long career in music. Having endured endless comparisons to Stewart's voice and style - be assured McDonald has his own voice and style to bring to future audiences.

Contestant Paul McDonald was eliminated on Thursday's program. (Courtesy Photo: FOX Television)

McDonald, the oldest of the Idol contestants, is the first boy to be eliminated, leaving the playing field at five boys and two girls remaining.

The program on Thursday featured performances from Grammy Award-winning Rihanna and a duet ("Don't You Wanna Stay") from Season 1 Idol champ Kelly Clarkson and country star Jason Aldean, as well as some directorial advice from Rob Reiner, who immediately put the contestants at ease with his special brand of pathos and humor.

Spotted in the audience on Wednesday were Elvira and Hank Azaria, while Anita Baker and Chaka Khan made the scene on Thursday. Former contestant Pia Toscano was also seen in the audience.

On Wednesday's show the contestants were instructed to perform a song of their choosing from any film.

Lauren Alaina (16) - Lauren performed Miley Cyrus' "The Climb." As judge Randy Jackson stated "You have a stronger voice than even Miley, and it was terrific." She may have felt the pressure to pick up some of the departed Toscano's fans and she rose to the occasion, and clearly climbed to the top of the judges favorite list with her powerful vocals. A Tyler favorite from the beginning, she is proving that she may have what he takes to go all the way to Idoldom.

Haley Reinhart (20) - Her two week hot streak came to a crashing end on Wednesday, as she chose to sing Blondie's "Call Me" which none of the judges liked. The always kind Jennifer Lopez, who endured some good natured ribbing as she was recently voted by People Magazine as the "The Most Beautiful Woman in the World" declared, "I'm afraid to say anything because I want the girls to keep at it, as we are down to only two, but this was not a great choice for you." Haley dodged elimination again on Thursday.

Scotty McCreery (16) - This smooth singer sticks by his instincts every time and again performed beautifully as he covered George Strait's "I Cross My Heart." Jackson exclaimed, "Look at that, a star is born on this stage." This young man knows his audience, his abilities and his style, and never fails to deliver a thoroughly enjoyable performance.

Jacob Lusk (23) - I just love this young man's voice, but he seems to be holding back on the tremendous vocal abilities that got him to the Idol stage. He needs to bring back those you can hear him in heaven vocals to remain a contender in this competition. It also appears that Interscope's Jimmy Iovine may have developed a dislike for this talented young man - beginning with Lusk's choice of performing "Man in the Mirror" last week. The judges applauded his vocal skills again, with Lopez simply declaring "God Bless you." Performing the Simon & Garfunkel classic hit "Bridge Over Troubled Water" Lusk delivered a few of those magical notes at the end of his performance. Jacob - let that magnificent voice ring loud and true.

James Durbin (21) - There is nothing about this young man that anyone could possibly dislike. He respectfully went up against Iovine and Will.i.am to bring heavy metal to the Idol stage - and he did it with skill, style and panache, performing a knock-out cover of Sammy Hagar's "Heavy Metal" (accompanined by Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist Zakk Wylde). Durbin appears to be making consistently good choices, and his enthusiasm is refreshing and contagious. The judges (and audience) loved it with Jackson stating "My God, you guys were just at a James Durbin concert. This is unbelievable, man. I'm glad you stuck to your guns. We always say to all of you kids, 'Do you.' Tonight you did you. Hopefully America will bring metal back."

Casey Abrams (20) - Performed Nat King Cole's classic "Nature Boy." Abrams elicited a thunderous response for his risky choice of bringing jazz to the Idol stage, and once again performed with his bass, garnering great responses from the judges. Judge Steven Tyler commented "I remember when my mother sang me that song as a child, and I just loved it." Abrams is a particular favorite of Jackson's who effused "I thought it was genius."

Stefano Longone (22) - Don't count him out just yet, Stefano performed "The End of the Road" by Boyz II Men, and proved that he has a voice and deserves to be heard. This was his strongest performance to date and the judges let him know that he has earned the right to be there while the audience jumped to their feet in support. A Lopez favorite, Longone could be in it for the long haul. Tyler advised him "This is the beginning of the road for you, not the end." Having dodged his fourth time in the bottom three on Thursday, Longone needs to keep his song choices and performances consistently top notch.

Who is my Choice? Who is Your Choice? Who is America's Choice? Post a comment and let us know who you are cheering for.

Read our other 'Idol' articles here: "American Idol: A Surprising Upset" and "American Idol Rocks On", and "This Is American Idol Season 10".

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