Highlights from Phil Stacey’s Exit Interviews

Phil Stacey  shares sixth place (is that how it will work?) with Chris Richardson after being eliminated this week.  

  • He is going back to the Navy. His  Navy commitments could keep him off the tour,  but it’s not likely.
  • He’d like to sing “God Bless the USA” on tour.
  • He was planning on singing “Islands in the  Stream” for Bee Gees week next week.  

Read excerpts from his exit interviews after the jump.

From MTV.com  

  • Did he want to win? I wanted to win! … Inevitably, the bubble could have burst for me had I stayed any longer, but I’m excited about spending more time with my family. I miss my girls really bad.
  • Was he  ever surprised by the judges critiques?   My big surprise came during country week. I’m definitely more in my comfort zone in country music, but I’d grown so accustomed to getting very critical feedback, so when Randy was like, “Dude! You were good this week!” I was like, “Really? Sweet!”
  • Who does he think will win?  I think that the four people that are left have individual strengths that set them each apart. I think Blake is most likely the most original contestant ever on “American Idol.” He just blew it out this week with Bon Jovi; he was incredible. Melinda is possibly the greatest singer I’ve ever heard on the show. LaKisha sings with so much passion that it’s hard to listen to [her] and not get chills. And Jordin has got a range that lasts for days, and her upper notes just have so much power behind them. Honestly, I think it’s anybody’s ballgame at this point. I’m going to be really looking forward to how it goes from here on out.
  • Could his Navy commitments keep him off the tour?    My primary responsibility is to the United States Navy. The possibility exists that they’ll need me for a mission, and if that’s the case, I’m committed to following through with my commitment to the Navy. … They’ve been 100 percent flexible with me, with “American Idol.” They’ve been gems and a huge support base for me. I give the Navy all the props in the world for letting me do what I’ve done to this point. The last that I spoke with my commanding officer, things looked very promising for me to be able to go on the tour, so I’m not really worried about it at this point. It would break my heart to not go on the tour, but at the same time, I’ve got a duty.
  • What would  he like to sing on tour?      The “Idol Gives Back” [show] has really changed my life, and I think that one thing that I want to do is be a positive influence on people and a role model of sorts. I think as a Navy guy, I’d like to go out and do something patriotic, maybe. Something like “God Bless the USA” or something to represent the Navy and just kind of be a unifying factor for us as Americans.
  • What was the best decision  he made on the show?    To go into it with a positive outlook … I think that a lot of people started liking me more as a person when they saw that I was truly grateful to be there. Because, you know, being in the bottom three several weeks in a row could be considered hard on a person, but my outlook was that 103, 000 people auditioned for this and I was so blessed to be there.
  • What’s next for his Navy career?    It’s tough to say, really. I can’t say a single bad thing about my time in the Navy. … But I didn’t enlist with the idea of a career in mind. I enlisted to do my duty and be a part of what was happening in the war against terror. I was gonna do the first term and then move on. Especially with this kind of exposure … I think I could do a lot more from my perspective if I went out and released music.
  • Did his wife  get a lot of support from other Navy wives and your fans?      She’s gotten some e-mails on MySpace and some of the blogs have been very positive. I’m not deployed right now and I’m not doing something in a dangerous zone, but in a way, she represented those who stood as a support for [the military]. I thought it was very ironic that during my video montage ‘  they’ve played “Home” by Chris Daughtry for every single person, except for me they played [Carrie Underwood’s version of the Pretenders’] “I’ll Stand by You.” All I could think of was my wife and how she stood by me and has been exactly what the song says.
  • Is country music the genre he wants to pursue a music  career in?    I’m grateful that you can ask that question, because it means that I’ve shown that I’m an eclectic artist. But definitely the music that I write is country music and gospel music. I don’t know which path God will put me on, but I’ll definitely follow the doors that are open for me.

From Entertainment Weekly

  • Did he expect to be voted off this week?    I’ve come to not really expect anything. I was thrilled with the way things went down. Though I wanted to stay and represent for the people who’ve been supporting me for so long, I don’t think I could have gone out on a better note unless I actually won the deal. Getting to sing Bon Jovi’s ”Blaze of Glory” was about the coolest leaving song, I think, ever.
  • Why did it take some time for Phil to hit his stride?   Can he pinpoint why? Absolutely: The pressure was off. When I came into the top 24, I knew this was my shot. I knew that if I missed this shot, then who knew what the future held for me as far as doing music for a career? Every week I ended up somehow messing up ‘  I was petrified on the stage. I think once I got to the bottom three, and the bottom two, at one point or another I just said, ”Ah, forget it! It’s all gravy now, I should have gone home weeks ago!”
  • Has country music always been his thing? Yeah. I like country music and I like gospel music. And I’ve done both for a long time. I tried to fit the genre of each week. I think in the long run I discovered that’s not really the way to do American Idol.
  • What did he learn about competing in American Idol?   To go out there and be yourself through the entire competition. Instead of going out there and trying to prove you’re a singer, prove you’re an artist. Everybody who’s left has really done that and has left their mark. Now people see me as a guy who could do country music, so I’m excited about showing them the music I write.
  • What song would he have sung  for Bee Gees night?   I think I would have done ”Islands in the Stream, ” [which was written by the Bee Gees for] Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. Here’s the deal: Next week, what’s gonna be funny is that all four of those jokers are going to shine. It’s going to be a great week for them. That’s one of the reasons I’m semi-glad I got cut this week. I would have hated to have gone out on a night when all of the judges were like, ”Man, I just wasn’t feeling that.”
  • Does Blake have an advantage now that he’s the only guy? The guys took a hit this week.   Yes, we did! It’s fitting, though, the way the season started off. The women were strong this year! But you know what? I’m glad that us dudes are represented by Blake. At this point, here’s the deal: Melinda may be the best singer that’s ever been on American Idol. LaKisha may be the most passionate singer ever. Jordin may have the strongest upper range of anybody. And Blake is the most original artist. So, being a fan of the show ‘  and I’m not participating anymore, so I can say this unbiased ‘  I think it’s the best top four in the history of American Idol. I try to predict who gets voted off each week, and I’m never, ever, ever right, but I couldn’t possibly predict who’ll go next week.

From People.com  

  • Did  his Navy brothers support him?     I got a lot of support. Up front they made fun of me when I went to the auditions. Once I got on the show they were nothing but supportive. They sent me lots of text messages.
  • Why did bald work for Phil? It was unique. If it was last year and I was put up against Chris Daughtry, I don’t know if it would have gone over that well! But this year I was the only one to do bald so it worked. It was different.
About mj santilli 34833 Articles
Founder and editor of mjsbigblog.com, home of the awesomest fan community on the net. I love cheesy singing shows of all kinds, whether reality or scripted. I adore American Idol, but also love The Voice, Glee, X Factor and more!