KRIS ALLEN, DANNY GOKEY, ALLISON IRAHETA AND ADAM LAMBERT ARE “AMERICAN IDOL” TOP FOUR

MATT GIRAUD IS ELIMINATED FROM COMPETITION

Legendary Guitarist Slash to Mentor Top 4 Finalists on Rock Week Tuesday, May 5, on FOX

Special Performances by Daughtry and No Doubt on Next Results Show Wednesday, May 6

Matt Giraud was eliminated last night from AMERICAN IDOL after he received the fewest of America’s more than 47 million votes. On Tuesday’s show, finalists performed “Rat Pack” standards, and Giraud, 23, from Kalamazoo, MI, sang “My Funny Valentine” by Chet Baker.

Next week, the Top 4 finalists – Kris Allen, Danny Gokey, Allison Iraheta and Adam Lambert – will receive advice from guest mentor Slash and then take the stage Tuesday, May 5 (8:00-9:01 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) to perform rock songs.

Tune in the following night Wednesday, May 6 (9:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) to find out which three finalists will move one step closer to becoming the next AMERICAN IDOL. During the live results show, No Doubt will perform and Daughtry returns to the IDOL stage to debut “No Surprise,” the first single from their forthcoming album.

Since bursting onto the scene with Guns N’ Roses in 1985, Slash has amassed album sales nearing 100 million copies as well as seven Grammy nominations. Over the course of his career, Slash has performed and recorded with some of the most distinguished names in music, including Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan, James Brown and Ray Charles. He also boasts a catalog that spans several decades and a body of work that includes some of rock’s greatest anthems. Slash continues to evolve as an artist and pursues new creative outlets in fashion, TV and film scoring while remaining true to his love of rock n’ roll. He is currently recording a solo album and working with his current band, Velvet Revolver.

After 23 years together, No Doubt has accomplished it all. Grammy Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, a Super Bowl Halftime Show and tours with U2 and The Rolling Stones are a few of the highlights of their stellar career. The ska-punk band from Orange County, CA, crashed the grunge party of the mid-1990s with hits like “Hey Baby,” “Hella Good” and “Don’t Speak” and never looked back. The band returns to the road this summer while finishing their upcoming album, which is due for release in 2010.

Daughtry’s new album follows the runaway success of their Grammy-nominated quadruple-platinum debut, which scored three No. 1 songs and was the largest-selling artist release for two years running. The band has garnered multiple accolades, including American Music Awards, World Music Awards and Billboard Music Awards.

The AMERICAN IDOL Top 4 finalists are:

Kris Allen (23) – Currently lives in Conway, AR, but grew up in Jacksonville, Arkasas. Allen is a student at the University of Central Arkansas. He has been singing and playing the guitar since he was 13 years old. Yahoo Group - Kris Allen

Danny Gokey (28) – Raised and currently lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Gokey is the president and founder of a non-profit organization. In addition to singing, he plays the piano and loves salsa dancing. Yahoo Group - Danny Gokey

Allison Iraheta (16) – Currently lives in Downey, CA, but originally from Los Angeles, CA. Iraheta is a junior in high school who began singing at age 5. She also enjoys playing the guitar. Yahoo Group - Allison Iraheta

Adam Lambert (27) – Lambert grew up in San Diego, California but currently lives in Hollywood. He began singing at age 10, and has been involved with musical theater for the past eight years. Yahoo Group - Adam Lambert

AMERICAN IDOL is created and executive-produced by Simon Fuller, founder of 19 Entertainment; and executive-produced by Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO, FremantleMedia North America; and Ken Warwick, executive producer, FremantleMedia North America.

Source: FOX Press Release