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• Anoop Desai is a contestant on the eighth season of the popular FOX reality series, American Idol. When Desai was criticized by American Idol judges Simon Cowell and Kara DioGuardi for wearing "geeky" clothes, judge Paula Abdul defended him saying, "forget the clothing stuff, you're good."Seattle Times: American Idol Premiere (January 14, 2009) On the March 5, 2009 episode of Idol, Desai received the unprecedented honor of being named as the show's 13th finalist. Previous seasons featured only the standard 12 finalists.LA Times: 'American Idol' shocker (spoiler alert!) (March 5, 2009) He was later voted off as a member of the top 7 and will join the Idol tour in the summer of 2009.

• Fast Facts

  1. Age at time of American Idol audition: 21Seattle Times: American Idol Premiere (January 14, 2009)
  2. AI audition city: Kansas CityAI: Introducing Anoop Desai
  3. His friends urged him to audition for American IdolAI: Introducing Anoop Desai
  4. Love to sing R&BAI: Introducing Anoop Desai
  5. A member of the a capella group, the Clef Hangers
  6. A student at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
  7. Jokingly told AI judge Randy Jackson to call him "Anoop Dogg" during his audition
  8. Sang "Thank You" by Boyz II Men for his AI audition
  9. Wore shorts and flip flops to his AI audition
  10. USA Today named Desai one of twelve singers American Idol to watchUSA Today: 12 Singers Stand Out (January 2, 2009)
  11. Elimination date: April 22, 2009

• Top 13 Songs

  • Week 1: "Beat It" by Michael Jackson
  • Week 2: "You Are Always On My Mind" by Willie Nelson
  • Week 3: "Ooh, Baby Baby" by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
  • Week 4: "Caught Up" by Usher
  • Week 5: "True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper
  • Week 6: "Everything I Do" by Bryan Adams
  • Week 7: "Dim All The Lights" by Donna Summer

• Quotes

  • "He performed everything from Ozzy Osbourne to T-Pain with his college a cappella group, giving him useful tools for Idol."—USA TodayUSA Today: 12 Singers Stand Out (January 2, 2009)

  • "Anoopdog, who wore the shorts. I think he's a smart, interesting guy with a surprisingly compelling voice -- he's totally unlike any of the other contestants, and I can't wait to see what kind of makeover he gets if he makes it out of Hollywood. My only fear is if he does well, that'll open the floodgates to a bunch of nerdy grad students trying out for the show."—NewsdayNewday: Our Favorite American Idol Contestants (February 3, 2009)

  
  

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