Milwaukee singer leaves "American Idol"

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The dance instructor and grounds keeper from Milwaukee may have been voted off "American Idol," but it's probably not the last anyone will see of her — if she has any say in it.

"I'm looking forward to recording an album, for sure. I'm looking forward to possibly doing some acting and some dancing, just being able to blossom as an artist," Naima Adedapo said in an exit interview posted on the show's website. "And I want to travel the world. I am looking forward to being able to go forward and creatively express myself as an artist."

The 26-year-old left Thursday night along with 16-year-old Thia Megia, from Hayward, Calif., who also auditioned in Milwaukee last summer.

Two contestants left because the judges used their save last week on Casey Abrams who earned the fewest number of votes.

The daughter of jazz singer Adekola Adedapo, Naima Adedapo is the mother of two young daughters and three stepdaughters.

On Wednesday, she had performed a reggae version of "I'm Still Standing," which did not impress judges Randy Jackson and Jennifer Lopez. Jackson called it corny and Lopez said she wasn't sure if that was the right song for her.

"I did what I did and I have no regrets about anything I've done on the show," she said on a conference call with reporters Friday. "I was happy I was able to show that side of me."

She said she looks forward to returning home to see her family, while waiting to go on tour with the other Top 10 "American Idol" contestants.

She said the show was an amazing platform for her career and had previously told her family that it didn't matter if she won.

"I was like, I don't necessarily have to win," she said. "I just want to go on tour so that I can buy a home.'"

She's worked at Milwaukee World Festival, Inc., which puts on Summerfest along Milwaukee's lakefront, since 2006 and her seasonal job as a grounds supervisor for the summer is waiting for her, if she wants it.

"Naima has represented her musical talent, the City of Milwaukee and Summerfest in a first-class fashion," Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. spokesman John Boler said in a statement.

She said one of the highlights of being on the show was picking out and designing her outfits.

She acknowledged it was hard for people to categorize because of her funky style. She said her fan base might be a little older and they may not have been as technologically savvy as some contestants' fans, who might have voted thousands of times.

The other remaining finalists are Lauren Alaina, 16, of Rossville, Ga.; James Durbin, 22, of Santa Cruz, Calif.; Stefano Langone, 21, of Kent, Wash.; Jacob Lusk, 23, of Compton, Calif.; Scotty McCreery, 17, of Garner, N.C.; Haley Reinhart, 20, of Wheeling, Ill.; and Pia Toscano, 22, of Howard Beach, N.Y. Another singer will be eliminated next week.

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