Guide Note
Sony/ATV allowed American Idol to use songs penned by The Beatles' John Lennon and Paul McCartney during American Idol Season 7. Idol's first-ever Beatles-themed show aired on March 11, 2008. Some of the songs performed by contestants included "Come Together", "Eleanor Rigby", "Let It Be" and "Across the Universe". During the next night’s elimination, former exotic dancer David Hernandez, who performed "I Saw Her Standing There", was sent packing.
The show was so successful, Idol producers used the Beatles theme for the following week. Amanda Overmyer's rendition of "Back in the U.S.S.R" was panned by the judges, and she was sent home on the March 19, 2008 elimination episode.
Previously, the only song written by a Beatle and performed on Idol was Lennon's "Imagine", by season six runner-up Blake Lewis and again in season seven by David Archuleta.
Fast Facts
- Beatles performance nights: March 11 and 18, 2008
- Beatles elimination nights: March 12 and 19, 2008
- Show: American Idol
- Theme: The Beatles
- Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe made announcement on Ryan Seacrest's radio show on February 27, 2008
- Rumors of a Beatles night on American Idol Season 6, but it never happened
Contestants
- David Hernandez performed "I Saw Her Standing There"
- Amanda Overmyer performed "Back in the USSR"
- Brooke White performed "Here Comes the Sun"
- Carly Smithson performed "Blackbird"
- Kristy Lee Cook performed "Eight Days a Week"
- Ramielle Malubay performed "I Should Have Known Better"
- Syesha Mercado performed "Yesterday"
- Chikezie Eze performed "She's a Woman"
- David Archuleta performed "The Long and Winding Road"
- David Cook performed "Eleanor Rigby"
- Jason Castro performed "If I Fell"
- Michael Lee Johns performed "A Day in the Life"
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