Losing Jacob

Jacob Lusk, our gospel great, has been eliminated from the American Idol stage. I will never forget when he sang "God Bless the Child". This song has been sung hundreds and thousands of times before, but it wasn't just the way he took us to a place of goosebumps and awe, it was when he collapsed into the arms of his family when he was done. It had taken everything out of him. Many people say, they "left their heart on the stage". That was the true definition. He sobbed when he was done, knowing he had given the judges all that he could give and it was one of those moments that will live on in Idol history forever. Randy himself said it was by far the greatest audition on Idol, and he's been there since the beginning, so there is no disputing that. I'm sorry to see Jacob go. We haven't seen anything like him since Fantasia really. His voice was raspy yet light, powerful and booming in the lower register, silky and adventurous when he sang high. I heard every time his gift took him out the atmosphere, which sometimes led to his losing his way. He was sometimes pitchy and wild (ie."I Believe I Can Fly") but he was the kind of contestant that garnered just as much love and adoration as he did negative comments and criticism. Unfortunately, unlike Fanatsia's "Summertime", Jacob never had another "God Bless the Child" moment on the voting stage. After a few weeks of him passionately taking us to church, Jacob began to reign himself in, maybe for fear of losing control completely. He landed in the bottom three week after week until he was finally sent home. I think we all saw it coming. But I pray and know in my heart that we haven't heard the last of Mr. Lusk.  Jacob will be on tour with the rest of the top 11.  I'm sure he will continue to make music and hopefully sell many albums as his career continues to blossom and evolve, just as his voice and his knowledge of self should.