End of the 'Idol' road for LI teen

Robbie Rosen, the Merrick 17-year-old who went from Calhoun High to television's biggest stage in what seemed like the span of a song, saw the end of his remarkable "American Idol" run Thursday night.

Rosen's move up to the elite top 10 appeared doomed almost as soon as the telecast began. Summoned by host Ryan Seacrest, he said "this has been my dream forever." Music, he added, is "my biggest passion. I'm doing what I love and fulfilling my passion."

Seconds later, Seacrest said that Rosen had not received the sufficient number of votes to move into the top 10.

The end? Not quite. He was later selected to perform in a wild-card round - an "Idol" first in which singers who didn't get enough popular votes for a ticket to the top 10 berth were then asked to perform again.

Rosen was one of six asked to perform again and he chose the Elton John chestnut "Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word." In the argot of the trade, he killed, leading judge Randy Jackson to observe, "This is the toughest night ever."

To bring a little unpredictability to a format that had grown stale over the past nine seasons, "Idol" added the wild card, and of the 14 who were not named to the top 10, Rosen was certainly considered one of the strongest contenders. He's been a judge favorite since singing "Yesterday" at his audition.

It had been left unclear whether just one or two wild-card contestants would be picked. Instead - in another bit of a twist - Jackson said three wild cards would be chosen. That appeared to boost Rosen's chances again. But Ashthon Jones, 24, of Valdosta, Ga., Naima Adedapo, 26, of Milwaukee, and Stefano Langone, 21, of Kent, Wash., were selected.

The other finalists going forward are: Karen Rodriguez, 21, New York; Scotty McCreery, 17, Garner, N.C.; Pia Toscano, 22, Howard Beach; Lauren Alaina, 16, Rossville, Ga.; Jacob Lusk, 23, Compton, Calif.; Casey Abrams, 20, Wilmette, Ill.; Thia Megia, 16, Hayward, Calif.; Paul McDonald, 26, Huntsville, Ala.; Haley Reinhart, 20, Wheeling, Ill.; and James Durbin, 22, Santa Cruz, Calif.