While thousands of people would have killed for a spot in the American Idol top 12, it seems all the fanfare just didn’t sit right for Mario Vazquez.
MTV.com dug a little deeper into the reason the singer – picked by many as this edition’s top contender – decided to leave.
The ex-Idol said that the timing wasn’t right and he just wants to sing his music from the heart. He did thank all of his fans and the AI producers for their support, but said he wants to stay private right now. He said he’d been considering leaving the show for a while.
He’s still saying there was a personal reason behind his surprising decision, but wants people to respect his privacy. Vazquez said that his departure had nothing to do with his family, and according to the Associated Press his mother didn’t know he had quit the show until a reporter showed up at her New York home.
Vazquez admitted he hasn’t signed any deals to record yet, but wouldn’t discuss the parameters of his Idol contract and whether they are holding him back. He promised this wouldn’t be the last of him.
The feelings on the official American Idol website forums about Vazquez’s decision range from confused to bitter. Some loyal Vazquez fans want to know what caused the singer to leave them stranded with no one to vote for, while others have turned on him calling him arrogant for abusing the chance he had.
Nikko Smith is returning to fill Vazquez’s spot. The next AI airs Tuesday night, where the male and female competitors go head to head for the first time.
