American Idol Gives Back Results Recap

For the first time since Brian Dunkelman's ouster, Seacrest has a co-host. Tonight it's Ellen DeGeneres in the Walt Disney World Concert Hall. She wonders since Seacrest has been promising the most shocking results ever if she's getting kicked off. If there's only six people left, one's getting kicked off, and that doesn't seem too shocking. She asks again if she's going, saying that's just not fair to invite her to do this, then kick her off. She starts us off with our first musical performance, and while she's tempted to sing Salt 'n Pepa's “Shoop,” instead she introduces Earth, Wind, and Fire as they perform a medley of their hits including “Boogie Wonderland” (previously sung on American Idol by the season 2 finalists), “Shining Star,” and “September” (previously sung on American Idol by Anwar Robinson in season 4). The guitar player here looks a bit manic.

While Sanjaya Malakar and his sister Shyamali sit in the audience, a clip is shown of legendary producer Quincy Jones working with the Idols this past week. In 1985, Jones conducted and produced “We Are the World,” and now tonight he has written a similar song for the Idols. He says he loves to see young people taking things seriously and doing everything they can to help people that aren't as fortunate as them. Melinda Doolittle asks where he gets his inspiration, and he says from events in South Africa and Katrina. The Idols then appear onstage, all dressed in white suits, to sing this song while Quincy conducts the band. The song, “Time to Care,” has a definite African beat to it.

Next, Cowell and Seacrest are shown visiting a 12 year old boy in Africa. Grauman lives in one of the biggest slums, the size of Central Park, that houses 1.2 million people. He and his little sister, Violet, live in a tiny one-room house, and live alone because their parents have died. He acts as father to them, doing the cooking and cleaning and making sure they both get to school. There are 50,000 orphans here doing the same as him. Yet, it would cost less than $200 a year to provide them with an education that would eventually be a means to escape the poverty.

Paula Abdul visited the Boys and Girls Club of Los Angeles, which is around the corner from the American Idol studio, although there are 4000 of these clubs throughout the country. She asks the kids if they have a desire to be onstage or be president of the United States, and nearly all raise their hands. This is a place for kids to go after school where they are kept safe and away from the streets while their parents are still at work. Abdul tells the kids her mom worked all the time, too, and she kind of buried herself in dance. One girl speaks up and says she likes to dance, too, because it expresses who she is. Her mom works three jobs trying to support them, and when she starts to cry, Abdul comforts her, telling her she's not alone.

Seacrest returns to the Idols and asks Blake Lewis to stand. He's told he's safe.

Abdul also traveled to the Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky where coal is king, Black Lung Disease is still commonplace, and poverty is widespread. Many people have to quit attending school while still in elementary school, meaning they are illiterate. Only five of the families attending the school can afford the school lunch. One mother is shown with her children saying the happiest day in her life was when her baby came home and could read the entire page of a book by herself, as this mother can't read and now counts on her children to read for her. The kids here say they like to read things like Captain Underpants and Chronicles of Narnia. Money donated will be used to help buy these kids book.

It's back to the results, and as Phil Stacey stands up, he tells Seacrest he loves him, prompting Seacrest to answer America loves him, because he's safe.

DeGeneres says she knows these images are difficult to watch, but just $30 is enough to buy ten children the drugs they need. She knows there are people with little money watching and people with a lot of money, and she knows because she watches with them she jokes. More seriously, though, she says it's because of this she is personally donating $100,000. She then introduces Josh Groban singing “You Raise Me Up,” backed by the African Children's Choir.

DeGeneres asks all the kids watching to ask their parents if they donate $1, will the parents donate the remaining $9, as that alone will save twenty children. She then introduces the original Idol, Kelly Clarkson, singing a very bluesy number to the guitar of Jeff Beck. The song is unknown, but hopefully it will appear on her next album.

It's time for more American Idol results for this week, as Seacrest asks LaKisha Jones to stand up, only to tell her she is safe. At this point, we're all sensing what the show's "shocking result" is going to be.

Another way the money donated helps, is that it buys "emotional kits" for these kids. The kids that are affected by traumas need ways to help them forget about the negativity surrounding them occasionally, and receive these kits filled with arts and crafts, footballs, coloring books, music, books, etc. Also appearing is Madonna in Malawi, saying she is surrounded by amazing children, many of which are HIV positive. They can have a future with life-saving drugs, which can be provided with donations.

Chris Richardson and Jordin Sparks are the remaining two Idols that have not heard their fate yet, and after Richardson is declared safe, Sparks must realize something is up, as she isn't too upset to hear this. Seacrest then fills us in that no one is being eliminated on charity night. This week's votes will be added to next week's totals, and the bottom two will be leaving. It needs to be mentioned that they weren't in order, and Sparks and Richardson weren't necessarily the bottom two.

No one left tonight, and while their time on American Idol was saved, many lives have been saved as well. It's not too late if anyone wishes to still help. Donations are still being taken at www.americanidol.com and the performances from this evening are being sold on iTunes with proceeds being donated as well.