Casey's Cast Away, James is Crowned King?

Last night we said goodbye to Casey Abrams, the bluesy jazz man, the red haired, bearded, bassist who I have to come to know as the finalist unlike anything Idol has ever seen. Yeah, we've heard that line before, along with, "this is the best season ever." It could be said from year to year as the talent evolves and impresses our nation. But Casey truly was identifiably the most unique and musically talented individual I've seen since the show's inception. Not just because he plays the upright bass, not just because he looks different than anyone we've seen, not just because he growls when he feels the music moving through him, and not just because he's far beyond his years, the way he interprets various musical genres. It's because of all of those things actually and even more. I appreciated what Casey brought to the stage each week and even though I breathed a great sigh of relief when Jacob, who was in the bottom three again, was sent to safety, I knew when there was only Scotty and Casey left, that last night would be the night the jazz and R&B died. The voters have spoken and he will be missed by me. Randy, however, although he may have been touched to see a fellow musician leave the show, seemed to have the winner, not the loser, on his mind. Wednesday, after James' performance of a Carole King classic, Randy declared James the winner of the whole thing, and jumped on stage at Ryan's behest to hug him and reiterate his prediction, just in case we didn't hear it the first time. I was never really a fan of the judges making such predictions, there is some chance that it truly could sway the vote. A vote that James doesn't seem to need any more help in gathering. I don't think he's ever been in the bottom and with only five people left, he just might rock and roll his way into the finale. The real question is: who will be there with him?