Bluffton teen’s ‘Idol’ dreams come to a close

Bluffton teen Lee Jean’s “Idol” dreams came to a close Thursday night.

On what was the third live show of the 15th and final season of the reality TV music competition Thursday night, Jean could not garner enough votes by the American viewing public to secure a spot in the Top 6.

“You have so much going for you,” celebrity judge Jennifer Lopez said after Jean, 16, performed “Let it Be” by The Beatles. “But I’m not sure it’s going to be enough.”

In the last half of the show, Jean was among the bottom three who performed as they fought to stay in the competition.

Judges ultimately had the final say as to who among the three would move on to the Top 6, and they passed on Jean.

It was a fierce competition, but the teen’s trademark calm and cool demeanor carried him far.

The Buffton High School junior had regularly appeared on the show since Jan. 24 and had made it through several rounds of auditions before being awarded his golden ticket to Hollywood.

He made it through the show’s grueling “Hollywood Week” with its sudden-death-style eliminations, proving time and again he had what it took not only to survive but to thrive. And he made it through group rounds, solo performances and a duet with rocker Chris Daughtry, a performance which Lopez called “amazing.”

But Thursday night, the judges and American voting public had other plans.

After leaving the show, Jean tweeted:

In a phone conversation a few weeks ago, Jean seemed to be at peace with whatever might happen on the show.

“Whatever happens this week, I’m just thankful for everything that has happened so far,” he said, “because this is nothing that I could have ever imagined.”

This story was originally published March 10, 2016 at 10:11 PM with the headline "Bluffton teen’s ‘Idol’ dreams come to a close."