Idol Chatter & Voice Views

If there was ever any doubt, Aaron Kelly put it to rest during his exit interview with the media Thursday afternoon.

He sees himself as a country artist. Post-Idol, that’s the style of music he envisions himself recording.

Something along the lines of the music recorded by Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban, artists he admires.

“Country music is what I’ve grown up listening to, and it’s what I feel I fit most comfortably with,” said Aaron, the day after his elimination from American Idol. “I have a great time performing country music.”

After all, it’s the style of music he performed a fairs across Pennsylvania before his name was known nationwide from his long run on Idol.

His MySpace was filled with photos from performances at the Clinton County Fair, the Jamestown Fair, the Bloomsburg Fair.

The 17-year-old hails from Sonestown (think Sullivan County, west of Scranton, east of Williamsport), and has also performed at Sonestown’s
own Heritage Days.

And, as anyone knows who checked out his MySpace before Idol, he writes country music to.

“I’d love to record an album and do original music, like stuff that I’ve written,” Aaron says. “We’re not allowed to do that on the show. I don’t
know if people know I write songs. That’s another huge passion of mine.”

Just 16 when he auditioned for Idol, nicknamed “Yoda” by his fellow contestants, Aaron became one of the feel-good stories of season nine.

In the Orlando audition episode, he described a rough early childhood. Social services nearly took him from his birth parents before he was adopted by his aunt and uncle, whom he now refers to as his mom and dad.

He credits them for sacrificing so he could pursue his dream; last week, he dedicated his performance of Shania Twain’s “It’s in the Way You
Loved Me” to his mom.

After a shaky start in Hollywood Week, Aaron recovered and made it all the way to a fifth-place finish. Along the way, he was seldom flashy. Perhaps seldom memorable.

But he turned in solid vocal performances, week after week.

He also got to meet Miley Cyrus, whom he admitted having a bit of a crush on. And, just last week, the members of Rascal Flatts.

The elimination followed a Tuesday night performance of “Fly Me to the Moon” on Frank Sinatra Week. Simon Cowell’s critique: If Sinatra was a
lion, Aaron was “a mouse.”

A little more than 24 hours later, his Idol ouster was official.

“I think the judges wanted to see more charisma,” Aaron said. “I got my confidence up, I was having a good time. I just needed to believe a little more. I was still learning to add all the extra things to my performances.”

Other topics Aaron touched
on during his exit interview:

* As a minor, he didn’t really mind having to spend time on his high school studies at the same time he was competing on Idol. While the other
contestants were constantly dwelling on their upcoming performance, “I have to worry about astronomy. I have school to take my mind off it. So
I used it as an advantage.”

* He earned the right to audition by winning a competition at the Idol Experience at Disney World and suggests other aspiring Idols give it a try.
“It’s a great way to get a feel for what this is like,” he said.

* Harry Connick Jr. was his favorite mentor, and Aaron thinks he’d be a wonderful replacement for Simon. “He would be a great replacement for Simon. He’s very honest and he’s going to tell you straight out. He would fit the bill perfectly.”

* On the criticism of the talent level of the season nine cast: “It seems like they say that every year. These are all talented people. We’re all
working very hard up there. It’s very difficult singing a song or a genre you’re not very comfortable with. It’s a very difficult task, but we’re all doing it pretty well, I think.”