Canadian Press
Friday, August 20, 2004
TORONTO (CP) - "So I'd best be on my way, in the early morning rain..."
It wasn't morning, but the words of the hit Gordon Lightfoot song performed by Elena Juatco on Canadian Idol this week were otherwise prophetic for the 19-year-old student from Vancouver, as she became the latest person eliminated from the show Thursday night.
Juatco, a student at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., graciously thanked her friends and family for their support.
"I've gotten more than I could ever ask for," said the spunky Juatco, who speaks three languages and who -according to judge Sass Jordan -"blossomed" on the show.
She also thanked "all the Idols for inspiring me with your passion for music and your humility. I love you so much."
Juatco was eliminated after a pair of shows that paid tribute to Lightfoot and his music.
Lightfoot, who had a brush with death almost two years ago when a blood vessel ruptured in his abdomen, called his collaboration with the hit television show -he helped out at rehearsals -a "learning experience."
"I'm deeply honoured that they would choose all of my material and have a show on it," he said. "I'm really very pleased with the work that they've done."
The musical legend was given an enthusiastic standing ovation as host Ben Mulroney thanked him for his contribution to music in Canada.
In a first for Idol franchises worldwide, all the contestants on the program displayed more than vocal talent Thursday -they also played a variety of musical instruments during their group performance of Canadian Railroad Trilogy.
Jason Greeley, Jacob Hoggard and Shane Wiebe all played guitar, while Kalan Porter was on violin, Theresa Sokyrka played mandolin and Juatco was on keyboard.
Altogether, 2.2 million people watched the Wednesday night show as the contestants did renditions of six Lightfoot classics, while the troubadour himself sat beaming in the audience. It was the most-watched episode since the season premiere, CTV said.
Almost three million votes were cast via telephone and text-messaging.
[This message has been edited by charlene (edited August 20, 2004).]
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