JARED COTTER, SUNDANCE HEAD, ANTONELLA BARBA AND SABRINA SLOAN ARE ELIMINATED FROM THE �AMERICAN IDOL� COMPETITION ON THE SHOW�S MILESTONE 200TH EPISODE

TOP 12 FINALISTS TO TAKE THE STAGE TUESDAY, MARCH 13; ONE MORE GOES HOME ON THE NEXT RESULTS SHOW WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, ON FOX

Diana Ross to Coach Top 12 Finalists Next Week

On last night�s suspenseful AMERICAN IDOL results show, the Top 12 finalists for the record-breaking sixth season were revealed as four semifinalists � two guys and two girls � were eliminated from the competition. Nearly 37 million votes were cast this week following Tuesday and Wednesday�s performance shows. The semifinalists who went home after receiving the fewest votes were Jared Cotter, Sundance Head, Antonella Barba and Sabrina Sloan. Cotter, who sang �If You Really Love Me,� hails from Kew Gardens, NY, and currently lives in West Orange, NJ. Head, from Porter, TX, performed �Jeremy.� Barba, of Point Pleasant, NJ, sang �Put Your Records On,� and Sloan, a resident of Studio City, CA, entertained the audience with �Don�t Let Go (Love).� Also on last night�s show, which marked AMERICAN IDOL�s milestone 200th episode, Season Four winner Carrie Underwood performed her new single, �Wasted.�

Next week, AMERICAN IDOL will celebrate the music of Diana Ross. After being coached by Ross herself, the Top 12 finalists will perform songs from the Diana Ross songbook Tuesday, March 13 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX. The following night, Ross will perform and one finalist will be eliminated from the competition on the live results show Wednesday, March 14 (9:00-9:30 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed).

In a remarkable career spanning over 40 years, Ross has proven to be the consummate music artist, as well as one of the iconic female singers of all time. Beginning in the 1960s as lead singer of the world-renowned group The Supremes, and later as a solo performer, Ross achieved the unprecedented feat of 18 No. 1 singles in the U.S., rivaled only by The Beatles for the position of the biggest hit group of that generation. Other accomplishments include an Oscar nomination for her first film role, an extraordinary performance as Billie Holiday in "Lady Sings the Blues." She recently returned to the U.S. charts with her highest-debuting album in two decades, "I Love You.

TOP 12 FINALISTS:

Melinda Doolittle (29) � Currently lives in Brentwood, TN. Doolittle is a graduate of Belmont University in Nashville and has a bachelor�s degree in Commercial Music. She is a backup singer on stage and in the studio.

Stephanie Edwards (19) � Currently lives in Savannah, GA. Edwards sang at the famed Apollo Theater when she appeared on �It�s Showtime at the Apollo.� She has won every singing contest she has ever entered.

Gina Glocksen (22) � Currently lives in Naperville, IL, and works as a dental assistant. Glocksen also performs in a cover band. She tried out for AMERICAN IDOL last season and made it to Day 4 of the Hollywood Round.

LaKisha Jones (27) � Grew up in Flint, MI, and began singing at age 5. Gospel is her Jones� favorite type of music but she has trained formally in classical music.

Blake Lewis (25) � Currently lives in Bothell, WA, and began �beat boxing� in his senior year of high school. Lewis was a member of a youth choir group that traveled to Europe.

Sanjaya Malakar (17) � Currently lives in Federal Way, WA, and comes from a family of singers. He spent four years in Hawaii performing with the Hawaii Children's Theater.

Chris Richardson (23) � Currently lives in Chesapeake, VA, and is a supervisor at a restaurant. He was born in Belgium into a military family and performs at local clubs.

Brandon Rogers (29) � From North Hollywood, CA, but spent six years in Dallas. Rogers has been singing for as long as he can remember. He works as a voice coach, wedding singer and background singer. His mother is a published songwriter.

Haley Scarnato (24) � Currently lives in San Antonio, TX. Scarnato, who recently became engaged, has been performing as a freelance singer since she was 15 years old and considers Celine Dion her hero.

Chris Sligh (28) � Currently lives in Greenville, SC, and is the son of missionaries. Sligh spent 10 years with his family in Germany. Since attending Bob Jones University, he has traveled and performed with a band.

Jordin Sparks (17) � Currently lives in Glendale, AZ. Sparks began singing when she was only 18 months old. She won the �Arizona Idol� contest. Her favorite band is Something Corporate.

Phil Stacey (29) � Currently lives in Jacksonville, FL; however, he grew up in Cincinnati. Stacy has a degree in vocal performance and is a singer in the Navy. He is married with two children.

Twenty-two-time Emmy-nominated AMERICAN IDOL is created and executive-produced by Simon Fuller, founder of 19 Entertainment; and executive-produced by Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO, FremantleMedia North America, Inc.; Nigel Lythgoe, President, 19 Television; and Ken Warwick, Executive Producer, FremantleMedia North America, Inc.