Wednesday, December 28, 2011

#66 Scott Savol

Next on my American Idol finalist countdown is Scott Savol from American Idol. He got 5th place on American Idol season 4. He is the most controversial finalist of season 4. He has a rap sheet citing domestic violence.

Scott Thomas Savol was born on April 30, 1976, in Cleveland, Ohio, but was raised in Shaker Heights, Ohio. He now resides in Nashville, Tennessee, where he records music.  Savol has a son named Brandon. He has been married to Rochelle since June 8, 2006.

During his stint on American Idol, The Smoking Gun reported that Savol had previously got an allegation of misdemeanor assault for for hitting his girlfriend Michele Martin, who is mother of his son, with a telephone on February 14, 2001 so hard that the phone broke. Savol pled the charge down to disorderly conduct for which he received probation, and was ordered to complete a domestic abuse or anger management class; his girlfriend levied a temporary restraining order against him. American Idol producers responded that Savol had already disclosed this incident to them and that "considering Scott's honesty and his remorse, the situation did not warrant his disqualification", as would Corey Clark on American Idol season 2.

The fact that Savol outlasted many singers who were often considered superior to him (like Nikko Smith [my second favorite of season 4], Nadia Turner, Constantine Maroulis, Jessica Sierra, and Anwar Robinson),  led many commentators to speculate that a portion of Savol's "fan base" actually consisted of people who were attempting to destroy the credibility of American Idol by voting for someone they considered the worst finalist. That organization is called Vote for the Worst (VFTW).Other people suggested Savol was supported by Christian voters because Savol frequently thanked God after his performances, or by voters who saw him as an underdog or "regular Joe" due to his lack of stereotypical pop star looks. Often, he would draw comparisons to actors Mark Addy and Kevin James.

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