Q.  Why do you think that you were sent home last night?  Do you think the gals split the vote?

A.  You know what; first of all, I was up against two amazing contestants, so that was part of it to me.  I love Jordin and Blake, so I think they did a fabulous job on Tuesday night.  But also I know that I was probably getting a little bit of the older vote, which is great.  And I had a lot of people come up and say, “You know, I voted for you five times last night.”  It was so good.  So I have – you know, sometimes they may not spend a full two hours voting or anything like that, and that’s okay.  But I really feel like personally that I’ve won as far as, you know, where I ended up in this competition.

Q.  What style of album do you think you might come out with?

A.  Oh gosh, the only way that I know to describe it is just soul music.  You know, anything from the heart.  I love a groove; I love anything where I can tell a story.  And so to me, I just kind of describe that as soul music.  I hope to have just a great soul album.

Q.  Simon Cowell kind of gave you a hard time throughout the season, saying that you always looked kind of surprised and shocked when people are complimenting your awesome singing and everything.  Was this shocking to you?  Did you know that you did this or was it just – is that just the way your personality is?

A.  You know what; it is part of my personality.  Plus I was coming out of singing background for so many years, I get so used to having to sound like other people that American Idol was my first time really stepping out and finding out what my voice sounded like.  So the fact that people liked it and were giving me good comments was surprising to me.  It was a great honor.  But it always kind of shocked me right at first.

Q.  Who did you laugh or joke around with the most on the show?  Is there just one particular person that would always make you laugh backstage or anything like that?

A.  Goodness, everybody is hilarious out here.  I’m kind of the momma of the bunch because I’m the oldest, so I call them all my babies.  I felt like I kind of hung out with them.  Jordin, being the youngest, is my baby girl, definitely.  But I mean we all hang out, Blake, everybody.  Blake is kind of the class clown, so he might have been one of the funniest ones.

Q.  America collectively held their breath last night when Ryan Seacrest teased going into the break, “After the break Melinda’s going home.”  What was your feeling when he spoke those words?  Did you kind of – did your heart skip a beat like the rest of us?

A.  No.  I think maybe either I didn’t notice or I just thought he was talking about the package that they were going to show about me going home to Nashville, because I knew I was the next person for them to show.  So I just assumed that’s what he was talking about.  I’ve heard a lot of speculation about that, but I don’t think it was that at all, I think he was just getting us ready for the next package they were going to show.

Q.  Are you dressing yourself now or are your friends still lending a hand?  What are you going to pack in your suitcase?  Are you going to be able to do that on your own for the tour?

A.  The show has great stylists, so Miles and Art have been extremely helpful to me being out on the show.  And then I just was privileged to have a best friend that was a stylist also, so she was very helpful to me.  Hopefully they’ve instilled something into me that helps me shop a little better, but we’ll just have to see.  I’m probably just going to be wearing things I’ve already worn that I know work already.

Q.  Ryan’s comment before the commercial break was “Oh, Melinda’s going home.”  But have you heard a lot of buzz after the fact?  You said you didn’t really notice it then.  But have you heard talk of it afterwards, that maybe it was any kind of slip or a hint or do you think he was just saying it in regards to your package about going home?

A.  You know, I’ve heard – a couple of my friends called and asked me did I even notice, and I was like, “No.”  I mean the only thing to me he could have been talking about was the package.  I don’t think it was even a slip; I just think that was what he was talking about.  So I was completely fine with it; it didn’t phase me at all last night.

Q.  What was going through your mind last night when you were called upfront for results?  First Jordin was called forward and then she was safe, and Blake was in the background.  The way he was building it up with you , what was going through your mind and then what was your reaction when he told you the journey was ending for you then and there?

A.  You know what; when he called me upfront, just by the nature of the show and how it normally goes, I kind of had an idea that it would be me.  So I was kind of prepared for it and I was just kind of taking deep breaths and kind of ready to go to the next step.  It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be.  I thought I was possibly going to lose it, but it was actually a happy occasion that I made it this far.  So I’m kind of glad it turned out that way.

Q.  Did you get a chance to speak to Simon after the show last night?

A.  I did, and he was ultra-supportive last night.  He was just really explaining to me that he really believed in me and wanted to me succeed.  And that’s great to hear, especially coming from Simon, you know.  But all of the judges were so sweet to me afterwards, and just really encouraging about what’s to come in the future.  So I’m looking forward to what’s coming next.

Q.  On Tuesday, when you sang on “Woman” you brought out the backup singers.  Was that sort of an homage to your past as a backup singer?  Did you do that on purpose?

A.  You know what; I had remembered doing the song before and going back to sing with them the first time, and those girls are – have been kind of my rock out here.  They’re amazing singers and I like to call them support singers now, because they’re not really backup singers; they can all hold their own upfront.  So they’ve just decided to support us out here, and I’m so grateful for it.  I love the fact that people get to see them in their element also.  So that was kind of my motivation on that, is that people see that those are supporting singers and they’re amazing at what they do.

Q.  So have you heard from any of the artists that you used to sing backup for?  Have they said anything to you during the competition?

A.  I have; I’ve heard from quite a few artists that have just been extremely supportive to me and excited for me, because a lot of them have only heard me sing background, so this was something new for them also.  So they were kind of on the journey with me and they were extremely, extremely excited about.  So it’s been a great run.  They’ve been supportive.  Even when I ask questions they’ve been extremely supportive in the press and everything for me too.

Q.  Can you say which ones?

A.  Sure, CeCe Winans, Anointed, Martha Munizzi, Risen, Sandi Patty, kind of mainly just gospel artists that I’ve been singing with, so it has been great to hear from them.

Q.  You and Mandisa from the last season are friends.  Did she gave you any advice for this season?

A.  Mandisa has been great for me.  She has just kind of been the person that understands what I’m going through, so if I need to bounce anything off of her I can.  And not necessarily advice other than, “Be yourself.  Love it.  Live in the moment.  And give 100%.”  So she’s been a great rock.

Q.  Paula once said that she really wanted you to let loose.  Is there a song that you felt that you finally, you did that and you were just able to really let yourself go on stage?

A.  You know what; sadly, I think the first time I let loose was after I got eliminated last night.  I was – there’s so much that goes through your head while you’re onstage, getting ready to be judged and getting ready to be voted on, that I don’t know that I’ve completely achieved letting loose like during the actual show.  I think I’ve gotten close, but I don’t believe that I completely achieved it.  So last night was kind of a full-circle moment for me in the fact that I was able to just let go and have a great time onstage.  So it really meant a lot to me.

Q.  What will you take away from your American Idol experience now?

A.  You know what; the biggest thing that I will take away is that I know I was really scared to do this at the beginning.  And the fact that I was able to step out and do it even in the midst of fear kind of just gave me an outlook on how strong God has helped me become and how much I’ve grown from it.  I’ve found my own voice, as opposed to my blending voice, singing background, and I couldn’t have asked for more from this experience.

Q.  You were consistently entertaining, but during the season which live performance turned out better than you expected?

A.  Better than I expected, oh goodness.  I’m trying to think.  I think maybe “Have a Nice Day,” because I was most afraid of doing rock because I’ve never even attempted it before, so it was kind of out, way out of my comfort zone.  I’m still dumfounded that people really liked it, so I think that one was the one that ended up turning out better than I ever expected.

Q.  You’re close with your mother, how did she react last night and what words of advice have your family members given you?

A.  Well, my Mom was at home, and so she called me and was so, so encouraging and so sweet about everything, and just wanted to first of all make sure I was okay.  And then once I told her I was okay she was like, “Great, then I’m okay.  We’re going to take this and run with it.”  So she’s been my biggest supporter out here, and I know we’ll continue to be, so we’re excited.

Q.  You said earlier that you were really afraid going into this to do it.  Was there a point that you reached that you sort of shed that fear, that you realized, “Hey, this is something that I can go far in”?

A.  Well, you know what; there is a lady, she’s actually a minister, and I heard something that she said and it totally changed my outlook on it.  She was talking about being afraid and she said that the key is not losing the fear, but if you can do it afraid, then the fear will go.  And I think that’s kind of how it happened; I think it was a gradual thing for me.  I think each week there was a bit of fear incorporated into the week, but as long as I stepped up to it and did it in the midst of that fear, then I moved further each week and got past it more and more.  So I don’t know to say that I’m all the way there, but I’m still working on it.

Q.  How you feel about the fans’ shock and support from the whole elimination?

A.  You know what; it feels wonderful.  And I’m so grateful for people actually being shocked by it.  At this point in the competition it’s kind of like, “Well, there’s only three of us, so one of us has to go home.”  But I’m just grateful that people wanted me to stick around and believed in me, so that means the world to me.

Q.  We heard Simon mention a lot of times about Jordin’s arrangements and different peoples’ different arrangements and how he didn’t particularly like them.  How much you think the arrangements of the song really play in the factor of how much people vote and how people enjoy the performances?

A.  Occasionally I think maybe the arrangements play into it.  It can go one way or another.  Like sometimes you can have an arrangement that you love and people don’t really connect with it because they’re so used to a certain version of the song.  Then there are other times where you can take the song to a whole other level.  So I think, I really commend like Blake for taking risks like that.  And I think that he did a great job with taking a song and making it more like Blake and kind of, you know, taking it to another level as opposed to taking it backwards

Q.  Can you talk a little bit about behind the scenes at American Idol and some of the fun anecdotes maybe you remember near the end or just in general?

A.  You know what; we all – I think maybe because of the pressure of what we go through, when we get backstage we are ready to let go.  So we are a silly bunch backstage.  We just, I mean we love to hang out, kind of like one big, happy family.  So for the most part we love to just hang out.  We tease about certain things that may be on the Internet or certain things that the judges may have said.  And we just, we try to take it as lightly as possible so that we don’t go home crying anytime soon.

Q.  You mentioned that you love Blake and Jordin and you’ve mentioned little bits about them.  Could you expand just a little bit more please and just tell what you find particularly interesting.  You’ve mentioned a few things about Blake, so maybe start with Jordin.  What do you find just interesting about her and her singing?

A.  Well, okay, first of all Jordin is 17 years old and it does not make any sense to me for a 17-year-old to be able to sing that amazingly well.  I just – I am just in awe of her.  So she’s got one of the most mature voices I’ve ever heard, especially on someone her age.  And gosh, she’s got such a pure heart, and I think it comes through when she goes to sing and when she goes to emote a song.  So that’s my baby girl and I wish her the best.

Q.  And for Blake, you mentioned a little bit about that he’s a fun person. What else do you find interesting about him as a performer?

A.  Well, you know, I think that he may quite possibly be one of the most original performers American Idol has ever had.  He takes a song, he makes it his own, whether it’s beat boxing, dancing, kind of putting a different groove to it.  I believe that he took risks and I am so proud of him for doing that and for stepping out and making people listen to a different style.

Q.  What inspired you to finally take this step and be on the show?  How do you see the way you’ve transformed as a performer over this time period?

A.  Well, deciding to audition for American Idol kind of happened on a fluke because I was driving down with a friend of mine, and wanting to support him.  And also the way he talked me into driving to Memphis was like, he was like, “Remember the funny auditions?  Maybe now you can see them in person.”  So we got a couple more friends and we all went down and assume that you had to audition to get inside.  So we all signed up to audition and I ended up being the only one out of that group to make it through.  And as it kept going I was like, “Oh my goodness, I’m still here.”  And so it kind of forced me to kind of take it by the reins and just be like, “Okay, guys, we’re going to do this I guess.”  So the growth in me has just been amazing and just me learning about myself and learning kind of how I react to these kinds of situations, how I react to being up front and everything.