Finalist

Casey Abrams

was saved from elimination tonight by the AMERICAN IDOL judges after he received the fewest of America’s more than 30 million votes. Abrams will continue in the competition as he takes the stage with the remaining finalists next week.

On tonight’s show, Season Three finalist and Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson returned to the IDOL stage, and multi-platinum country music duo Sugarland rocked the house. The night also featured a special performance by music legend Stevie Wonder to celebrate Steven Tyler’s birthday and an appearance by wrestling superstar Hulk Hogan.

On Wednesday, March 30 (8:00-10:00 PM), the Top 11 finalists – Casey Abrams, Naima Adedapo, Lauren Alaina, James Durbin, Stefano Langone, Jacob Lusk, Scotty McCreery, Paul McDonald, Thia Megia, Haley Reinhart and Pia Toscano – return to the IDOL stage to sing hits from the 1980s. For the first time ever, the Top 11 will travel the country this summer as part of the “American Idols LIVE! Tour 2011.” Cities, venues and dates will be announced at a later date.

During the live results show on Thursday, March 31 (8:00-9:00 PM) tune in to find out who receives enough votes to stay in the competition and who is sent home. In addition, Season Three IDOL winner Fantasia will perform her latest hit, “Collard Greens & Cornbread,” and will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas and Academy Award and Grammy winner Jamie Foxx will perform their first-ever musical collaboration on the IDOL stage. The duo will sing “Hot Wings (I Wanna Party),” an original song written for the highly anticipated animated feature film “Rio.”

From the creators of “Ice Age,” “Rio” is a 3-D animated motion picture event – in theaters on April 15 – set in a world where the celebration never ends…and where adventure takes flight. The film’s mix of action, drama and fun is enveloped with a magical combination of Brazilian sounds and contemporary American music.

Fans can view the full official profiles for each of the Top 11 finalists at www.americanidol.com/contestants. Keep up with the latest AMERICAN IDOL news on the AMERICAN IDOL Facebook page at www.facebook.com/americanidol. And be sure to check out the official AMERICAN IDOL Twitter for the scoop straight from the IDOL set at www.twitter.com/americanidol (@americanidol).

Keep up with the AMERICAN IDOL Top 11 at:

IDOL	Twitter	Facebook	MySpace
Casey Abrams	@CAbramsAI10	facebook.com/CAbramsAI10	myspace.com/CAbramsAI10
Naima Adedapo	@NAdedapoAI10	facebook.com/NAdedapoAI10	myspace.com/NAdedapoAI10
Lauren Alaina	@LAlainaAI10	facebook.com/LAlainaAI10	myspace.com/LAlainaAI10
James Durbin	@JDurbinAI10	facebook.com/JDurbinAI10	myspace.com/JDurbinAI10
Stefano Langone	@SLangoneAI10	facebook.com/SLangoneAI10	myspace.com/SLangoneAI10
Jacob Lusk	@JLuskAI10	facebook.com/JLuskAI10	myspace.com/JLuskAI10
Scotty McCreery	@SMcCreeryAI10	facebook.com/SMcCreeryAI10	myspace.com/SMcCreeryAI10
Paul McDonald	@PMcDonaldAI10	facebook.com/PMcDonaldAI10	myspace.com/PMcDonaldAI10
Thia Megia	@TMegiaAI10	facebook.com/TMegiaAI10	myspace.com/TMegiaAI10
Haley Reinhart	@HReinhartAI10	facebook.com/HReinhartAI10	myspace.com/HReinhartAI10
Pia Toscano	@PToscanoAI10	facebook.com/PToscanoAI10	myspace.com/PToscanoAI10

Emmy Award-winning AMERICAN IDOL is created and executive-produced by Simon Fuller, Founder, 19 Entertainment, a division of CKX, Inc; and executive-produced by Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO, FremantleMedia North America, Inc.; Ken Warwick, Executive Producer, FremantleMedia North America, Inc.; and Nigel Lythgoe, President, Big Red 2 Entertainment. AMERICAN IDOL has been No. 1 among Adults 18-49 for the past seven consecutive seasons and currently ranks as the No. 1 television show of the 2010-11 season.

Visit americanidol.com for additional information regarding AMERICAN IDOL voting, as well as exclusive videos, interviews and photos, as well as special behind-the-scenes information and all of your AMERICAN IDOL news.