Simon Cowell Addresses Jennifer Hudson’s ‘American Idol’ Elimination

all those memories that I have from the beginning is why the show was so big in those days it was because of people like you it was a combination seriously it was the combination of talent, determination and real personality and although we had that kind of like joking with you and I um it was always I always knew how determined you were and you were funny and you took it with grace because you kind of understood it. I always thought you understood it, but that night I never will. forget that night that night the night let's talk about the night let's talk about the night so uh

elimination

night yeah when I got eliminated what was your perspective I was thinking who picked stupid barry manilow week it wasn't me sammy b and samus you know why We used to have these topics, you know, and you would have liked movie nights, whatever, I think the topic that night was Barry Manilow week, it wasn't my idea, it was the weekend in New England, yeah, that's right , and I remember thinking that this is not so. a great song wasn't your fault and uh and then of course what happened happened um and then I was thinking a few days ago if you were to go back in time, would you have changed the song or would you have kept things the same? as they were, that's a good question, he didn't change the script for me, hold the line, hold the line, I always wanted to ask you this question, um, no, but they are other previous songs that I would have changed because that song, you know what He took me drinking girls, honey, because it was structured?

Barry Manilow structured that song like it was and I'm telling you, yeah, and a lot of people thought that's exactly what he was singing and then, but I felt this. I think this is a good question because what I felt is that when you're on a show like that you want to have the song that you feel represents you the best and it was a few songs at the beginning that I thought of. I don't feel like that represents my artistic circle of life. I felt like it represented my art, so when I got eliminated I felt like I had a chance to show who I was as an artist, so I was okay with being one. eliminated and then once I was, I thought: you know what you're leaving with your talent, yeah, you're leaving with your gift, this competition may be over, but your passion is it, yeah, your love and your drive, yeah , and too often, thank you.

Too often people give up and think that's the end of the road and I said no, I'll be back and I don't know when, I don't know how, but I'll sing until I get there, you know what I mean and And I kept that goal. in mind and I didn't give up.