On a night of inspiration songs, a trio of favorites - David Cook, Michael Johns and Carly Smithson - failed to motivate the judges to give them high marks.

Conversely, Kristy Lee Cook (yes, Kristy Lee Cook!) and Jason Castro basked in the high praise of Randy, Paula and Simon. Oh, and David Archuleta did well. But what else is new?

Who was your favorite performer? Who do you think will be sent home next on American Idol?

Also, remember: tonight is the Idol Gives Back special. Watch. Call in. Donate all you can.

You'll hear the following songs performed by the eight remaining American Idol finalists tonight:

Syesha Mercado — “I Believe” by Fantasia
David Cook - “Innocent” by Our Lady Peace
Carly Smithson — “The Show Must Go On” by Queen
Brooke White — “You’ve Got a Friend” by James Taylor

Jason Castro — “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Judy Garland
Michael Johns — “Dream On” by Aerosmith
Kristy Lee Cook — “Anyway” by Martina McBride
David Archuleta — “Angels” by Robbie Williams

Come back tomorrow for a recap of the renditions. Enjoy tonight's American Idol! 

Ryan Seacrest will be hosting Idol Gives Back tomorrow night. But his bank account won't know it.

The American Idol host has handed over his paycheck for the evening.

A source close to Seacrest told People Magazine that he wanted to show fans that he was serious about the cause. We think it's a great example from which others can learn a lot.

“When he and Simon went to Africa last year and saw the children, it was really life-altering for him,” said the insider. “He just knew he had to do his part and be willing to put his money where his mouth is.”

Idol Gives Back, which also features appearances from Brad Pitt, Miley Cyrus and a slew of other celebrities, airs tomorrow night on FOX. We encourage all to watch and pledge money.

We mock Paula Abdul a lot on this site because, well, have you ever heard her American Idol critiques/rants?

But we have nothing but praise for the occasionally wacky judge for her - and many others' - actions as part of the Idol Gives Back special.

Here's a shot of Abdul hugging a child from tomorrow night's broadcast. Please remember to tune in, call in and help out with a donation:

Brad Pitt is just one of several celebrities who will make an appearance on this Wednesday's Idol Gives Back special. Here's a shot of the actor during his taped segment.

The show hopes to top last year's $75 million raised in the name of charities across the world.

We plan on calling in and helping out. We hope you do, too.

Here's an interview former American Idol finalist Clay Aiken recently gave, during which he discussed his Broadway run in Spamalot, along with other interesting topics:

We interrupt our typical American Idol Season Seven updates to bring you news about one of our favorite former finalists:

Katharine McPhee has been named the newest face of Neutrogena. The singer follows a list of celebrities who have enjoyed such an honor, including Jennifer Love Hewitt and Jennifer Garner. The American Idol Season 5 runner-up signed a two-year contract to promote the product.

This has been a big year for McPhee, who married longtime boyfriend Nick Cokas in February.

Following her emotional elimination from American Idol this week, Ramiele Malubay spoke to TV Guide. Here are highlights from the interview:

On Simon Cowell:"Oh, he likes me, I know he does. I... believe in my heart that he says the things he says, sometimes he overdoes it; it's TV, but he just wants us to be better."

Advice for future American Idol contestants: "Be yourself... enjoy every single minute of it, because if you think too far ahead you're going to miss the fun stuff when you look back."

What she learned: "I learned to be [a more] humble person. I learned to... appreciate the little things and to be more courteous to people."

We all witnessed the tears of Brooke White and Ramiele Malubay last night. But what did viewers at home not see during the broadcast?

A few interesting notes:

• Michael Johns dabbed the sweat from his brow moments after learning he was safe; he then took his spot on the couch next to fellow survivors Carly Smithson and David Archuleta.
• Ramiele Malubay — before learning her fate as the next Idol to go — wiped the tears from her eyes after watching the touching moments between former American Idol Bo Bice and the love of his life, his son, up on the big monitor.
• Kristy Lee Cook, after learning she was safe, handed the paper sign (which we found obnoxious) that read “Bottom Three” to a lucky fan in the pit.

It was time for Ramiele Malubay to go home last night, as tears filled her eyes as soon as Ryan Seacrest announced she was stuck in the bottom three. She knew it was her time to say goodbye.

A less-than-stellar Dolly Parton interpretation doomed Ramiele on Tuesday night, as she was joined by Kristy Lee Cook and Brooke White in the trio with the lowest number of votes.

Here's a shot of fellow American Idol finalists comforting Malubay after the announcement was made. We wish her the best of luck.