Last month, the judges saved American Idolcontestant Michael Lynche from going home in ninth place. But Wednesday, "Big Mike," the personal trainer who celebrated his daughter's birth during the Hollywood rounds and moved judge Kara DioGuardi to tears with his performance of This Woman's Work, went home just short of reaching the top three. USA TODAY caught up with Lynche, 26, during a conference call Thursday with the media.
Q: Do you think you took enough risks in this competition?
A: I don't know if "risk" is the right mind frame to go with. You've got to show all the sides of you. With me, stepping outside the R&B realm, that's risky enough. You see how I look and you expect to hear R&B, and when I do something different, it's a little jarring. You've got to be comfortable up there and pick songs that mean something to you. I don't know if risk is what wins it, because at this point you've really solidified what your fan base is, and you have to give them what they want.
MORE FROM MICHAEL: In our Idol Chatter blog
Q: Your nickname this season was Big Mike. How tall are you, how much do you weigh and how much can you bench?
A: 6-foot-1, 300, 505.
Q: Tell us about your theater background.
A: I went to performing arts high school. It's called the Pinellas County (Fla.) Center for the Arts, and it was a special magnet program inside of a regular high school. So there were all the sports teams and all the extracurricular activities, but then inside the high school was a specialized program for performing arts. We were able to take dance and photography and music theory. I got my classical singing training, I learned to play steel drums. It opened me up to do anything I wanted besides the fact that I could play sports. It was the best time I had in school, when I was able to get into theater. You had to audition for roles, and it was a really big deal.
Q: What's next for you?
A: Right now, I'm still focused on the show. The top 10 will all be back for rehearsals (for the finale) starting Tuesday. We've got tour rehearsals starting in June. It's going to be a good time to unite with some of my other guys who left the show early. I'm going to have a really good time this summer, and I'm going to start putting together a great album.
Q: When are you planning on going home?
A: As soon as my schedule permits. My family's there, and I really can't wait to get back home and just heal a bit and feel the love down there.
Q: Last night, you brought your wife and daughter onstage with you. What did it mean to have them there with you?
A: It meant a lot because it really started out with them in Hollywood Week. That was when this whole experience got real. It wasn't about hoping you could do well anymore, I had to do well. Since I was working at Home Depot or Domino's Pizza, my wife was always supporting me, no matter what. I get to be the family man, and I'm not anything else but that. It was nice that that was my story (on the show) and that people got to see that. Having my wife really helps your heart out in a tough moment.
Q: You said on the show that your goal was to make the top three. Did that put you under a lot of pressure?
A: I live for pressure. If you're going to be something great, you have to deal with pressure. Tuesday night, I felt good about what I did. It just so happened that it didn't happen for me to get into the top three this year. But I'm where I'm supposed to be. I don't feel like I let anyone down. People just didn't vote that way.
Q: What did Randy (Jackson) say to you when he hugged you after your elimination?
A: He was just pointing out that Chris Daughtry got (eliminated at) No. 4 and that it's not a bad place to be where I am.
Q: Do you think it's more important to perform an original take on a song, or just a good one?
A: I felt like you should do something original. Everybody should always make the song their own. I think you get into the karaoke zone when you just do a good version. I always wanted the song to feel like I wrote it. In my opinion, that's how you really succeed on the show.
Q: America got to know you as a tough guy, but you seemed to have a romantic, soft side as well. Has this always been the dynamic with you?
A: I'm a Gemini, so there's always two sides to it all. I've got an extremist personality type, so whatever it is, I'm going to the max with it. I was fortunate enough to be on the show long enough that I got to show multiple sides. I'm not just Big Mike. I'm also Mike the husband and Michael the father. I'm a brother, I'm a son. And all those things make up your heart.
Q: Were all the romantic songs close to your heart?
A: I love love songs. That's what really speaks to my soul, when someone's in love, and it's just raw and honest. That's hat I love.
Q: What was going through your head when you were saved? Were you surprised the judges saved you?
A: Really, every week to me was "sing for your life." Nothing is guaranteed on the show. I never wanted to take anything for granted. When I got to that point, I felt like I could stand tall in that moment. When it got down to Andrew (Garcia) and I, I wanted it to be me in that moment because I didn't want him to have to go through that. He's a good buddy of mine, and I felt strong enough and prepared enough. I wasn't surprised they saved me, just extremely grateful to still be around.
Q: What are some memories of going to college at the University of Central Florida and how did it influence you?
A: Everybody should go to college. It's the best time to live on your own and figure out who you are outside your family. It really matured me and focused me more. I was never really into partying, and I had my wife there, so we were homebodies. It did also make me realize how much I miss home and my family. I didn't realize how much I would miss them.
Q: Did you expect to go home last night?
A: America is a fickle creature, and she's shown that as the competition has gone on. You just never know. I think I was consistent every week and always gave my heart when I sang. The only thing with giving your heart is it can get broken. But if it's received well, it can be really special and magical, and it was that a couple weeks. I think the way the wind blows, the votes, you just never know.
Q: Did playing football at UCF help you prepare for Idol?
A: Of course. It's the way I continue to train my body. It's the way I mentally prepare. I wanted to have a warrior's mentality in the competition. So I took the approach of having a game plan. And being able to adapt and change the game plan as the game goes on. It served me well.
Q: Why did you drop out of playing football at UCF?
A: My mom was diagnosed with cancer, and my heart really was missing home and my mom. My plan at that time was to transfer to University of South Florida. And then my mom ended up passing away. It threw me for a loop. I lost my way, and I started working with special-ed kids, and it was the best thing for my heart at the time and the best work I've ever done. I bought a guitar again. I hadn't had one in a long time because my plan was to play professional football. I started writing music and that side of me started growing. It had been there all along, but I just hadn't explored it because I was focused on athletics. I got to spend some great last time with my mom. We'd sit up late at night and watch infomercials. That was a highlight in my life, getting to spend that time at home with her, the last time she had on earth.
Q: Given that the show is up to the viewers and not the judges, do you think the save is a good thing?
A: I think it's two-sided. As far as the voting goes, that's really one of my favorite parts of the show, that people get to pick their champion. As far as the save goes, it speaks to your work ethic and your professionalism and what the judges see of you behind the scenes and not just that one minute, 30 seconds of you on stage that the audience sees. The judges get to see a bit more of us and what your reputation is around the set and around the crew. It speaks to who you are as a professional for them to take that chance and save you and to say to America, "Think about this again because this person really has shown us to be a professional and someone who is worth taking another look at."
Q: Crystal (Bowersox) has been getting a lot of attention from the media. Is that something you've noticed?
A: We're in a bubble. We don't really get into the media or what's going on online. You really don't know the pulse about how people feel about you unless you leave the apartment. CVS was about as far as we'd go. We don't really go far from the Idol bubble, which is nice because it keeps your confidence intact.
Q: Would you say having to miss the birth of your daughter was worth it?
A: I don't think you can ever say anything is worth missing the birth of your child. Only time will let those wounds heal. I think that it gives my family a good chance in the future and gives my daughter a better chance. Me personally, of course I didn't want to miss it. And of course I would choose it (over the show). But it wasn't a choice. This is what I needed to do for the family at this time. I'm looking forward to spending more time with them. But being off at this point doesn't mean your schedule thins out. It's still the time to keep sprinting and keep charging ahead so that you use this opportunity that you've been seen on TV all these weeks to your advantage. Brohoo
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