The end of a very long road finally came Thursday night for the crooner from Compton, Jacob Lusk, the lone African American finalist on the reality singing competition, “American Idol.” There were only five contestants remaining when host Ryan Seacrest announced that it was Lusk’s last show for the season.
Lusk, 23, joined Georgia native Lauren Alaina as the bottom two after a rollercoaster, two-songs-each performance show last night. Alaina sobbed as she waited for the announcement while Lusk simply closed his eyes to wait for the decision.
“I fell in love with America, and America fell in love with me,” he said after Seacrest asked for parting words. “Now, I can get out there and record soulful R&B and Luther songs and those old songs like I want to. Dreams do come true, and I’m a living witness.”
After elimination, each contestant sings his or her “swan song,” a final performance on the 
“American Idol” stage. Lusk chose the Burt Bacharach and Hal David hit, “A House is Not a Home,” which Lusk’s musical idol, the late Luther Vandross, made so popular.
In a shiny purple shirt and slacks, Lusk started the song off tearfully but ended strong. His voice ran up and down notes in a churchlike fashion as the remaining four contestants surrounded him. As the credits rolled on the screen, Lusk was still ad-libbing, bending over at the waist while holding the microphone, and delighting the audience with his signature wails, howls and high-pitch notes.
After weeks of hammering and increased complaining by producers and judges, Lusk ended his part of the “AI” season his way, leaving them, the audience and viewers something to remember. –arnell pharr
