Jesse Findling makes 'American Idol' top 12, but exits show

Young Massapequa Park singer Jesse Findling, who had climbed to the top 12 on this season of “American Idol,” will be returning home after Monday’s live show, having not reaped enough viewer votes to continue.

The 20-year-old Findling had performed Oasis’ “Wonderwall” in this live “90s Judges’ Song Contest” round. Like the other contestants, he was given a choice beforehand of three 1990s tunes chosen by judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Carrie Underwood.

He picked Oasis’ 1995 hit over Bryan Adams’ “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” and Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah” — the latter of which Findling said he had considered performing during last week’s “Songs of Faith” round. He incorrectly guessed that country star Bryan had chosen “Wonderwall,” revealed moments later to have been Richie’s choice.

An impressed Underwood told Finding, “I would have picked that [song] as the last one you’d have picked, but you did your thing and it worked.” Agreed Bryan, “Great job. You did your thing with it. A great song choice — and, man, that was one of my favorite things I’ve seen you do.”

At the start of the show, host Ryan Seacrest had revealed that Findling had made the top 12, following the eliminations of 19-year-old Julián Kalel of El Paso, Texas, and Jake Thistle, 21, of Paramus, New Jersey, based on viewer votes for the March 30 live episode. This week's immediate elimination at the beginning of the program followed last week's surprise move to delay the final results after the show’s tabulators needed more time to count the votes that would reduce the field from 14 to 12.

Findling is a 2023 Massapequa High School graduate currently on a spring-semester break from upstate Binghamton University, where he is a junior majoring in biology.

Next week is a rock-oriented episode, featuring as guest mentors Lindenhurst-raised Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Pat Benatar and her husband and fellow inductee, guitarist Neil Geraldo.