Kristy Lee Cook Elimination Interview

American Idol' Exit Q&A: Kristy Lee Goes Home

Were you shocked by your elimination?
It was definitely a shock for me to go home. I wish I wouldn't have left so soon, I wanted to be in the top five. I am happy that Brooke's still in the competition because she's one of my best friends.

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Was it tough being in the bottom three so many times?
Yeah, it's been kind of tough being in the bottom three. [After] the first few times, I built up a stamina for it and got a little tougher. But, this last time, it was definitely nerve-racking, because none of us knew what was going on and how they were separating the groups. We didn't know if we were safe or if we weren't safe. It was just like a whole whirlwind of things going on.

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How did Simon react when you sang right in front of him and why did you call him a 'butt'?
He said, "Well, you made it awkward for me," and I said, "Well now you know what it's like to feel like us singing in front of you all the time." And he just started laughing, it was kind of funny [laughs]. I was debating between brat and butt but I figured I would just say butt. I don't know why.

You seemed to be improving over the last few weeks. Did that make leaving harder?
It definitely did. I was kind of upset that I went just because I thought that I had been getting stronger and stronger and I thought this was my best performance. It was vocally more than what I've given in the show so far and I connected emotionally with the song. I thought I at least had another week in me.

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What did you think when the judges argued about your performance?
It's kind of hard to tell ... if they're talking about us or if they're talking about the songs. I can't tell you for sure what exactly they're doing. Sometimes they're talking amongst themselves and you can't tell if they're already critiquing the song or if they're saying good things. I think they sometimes do it to kind of get our minds working [laughs].

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Your fiancé, Andy, proposed to you. How did it happen and when will you marry?
We looked around for a place to talk and pretty much everywhere we went, there were people around. We went into the weight room ... and the sauna was turned off but the light was on so we decided to go in there. And he proposed to me in the sauna. Then he actually proposed to me on live television. It was really cool. We haven't set a date yet -- we're planning around maybe next June.

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Was singing 'God Bless the USA' a strategic move?
Actually, it wasn't a big thought process for me. It was the year I was born. My dad was in Vietnam and he absolutely loved that song and I just love that song. My sister called me and said, "You should do 'God Bless the USA,' it was done in that year," and I was already thinking about it and I was like, "That's the one." It was an instant yes in my mind.

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Did you learn a lot from mentors Mariah Carey and Dolly Parton?
I definitely learned a lot. They are the sweetest people. They are huge stars and for them to remain supportive ... to what we were doing -- that's how I want to be if I become a famous singer. I want to still be the genuine and humble girl. They both had wonderful things to say to me. I took it to heart and I'll never forget it.

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Do you feel like you really showed what you can do?
I know in the bottom of my heart that I haven't shown America and Simon what I have. I know once they see me singing country music, they'll see another side of me that they never got to see. The show is about being versatile. I think I did a pretty good job considering I've never done that stuff before and I was really happy to have that kind of opportunity to ... try different things.

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