Santa Cruz's 'American Idol' Contender James Durbin Moves into the Top Nine

The show claims it set a record with 55 million votes this week.

While two contenders, Thia Megia and Naima Adedapo, were voted off, Santa Cruz's own James Durbin who nailed Elton John's "Saturday's Alright for Fighting" and held on strongly.

Catch Durbin's fiery Elton cover here.

Watch the show recap here.

An aside: I was a judge at "Saratoga Idol," which Thia won in 2007. She was elegant, one of the most pure and pitch-perfect singers I've ever heard. She and her mother wrote me several times after the contest, asking what she should do for her career.

I gave her the answer I give every extremely talented young singer: Get on American Idol. She gave it a great run, placing in the Top 10, and she will tour with the stage show. No matter how good your TV sound is, it can never let you hear the full breadth and scope of a great singer, and Idol demands over-the-top theatrics as well as a great voice.

I suspect you will be hearing from this 16-year-old in the future.

I know you will hearing from Durbin, who is a front-runner in the contest, for weeks and years to come, based on the praise from the judges.

Meanwhile, Durbin was criticized by Michael Jackson's family for an innocuous comment about the accident that burned the pop star's head during the filming of a Pepsi commercial.

Apparently, the Jacksons can't get enough publicity, ever.