It's been a long and eventful road for Haley Reinhart, but it all came to an end last night.
After making it to the top three, and being treated to a hometown parade last Saturday, the Wheeling native did not receive enough votes and was ousted from the American Idol competition on last night's results show.
Reinhart looked stunned after learning her fate, but she quickly regained her composure and performed her last song of the competition.
With her trademark smile, Reinhart sang her rendition of Elton John's "Bennie and the Jets."
She shook the hands of all three Idol judges while she performed and made her way into the audience, eventually making her way to her parents who were in attendance.
Her ouster came at the end of a rough week for the Harper College student.
During her Wednesday night performance, Reinhart, who was performing with her father who was on lead guitar, fell on stage.
Again, she was quick to regain her composure and bounced right back, finishing the performance.
Idol judge Steven Tyler joked with Reinhart after the performance, asking if she had fallen for him.
He followed up his comment with a more serious one.
"You know, it's not about how many times you fall down. It's about how many times you get back up."
Jennifer Lopez called her quick recovery, "the sign of a true professional," noting that she and other performers had at one time or another fallen on stage during a performance.
Reinhart won't come away from the competition completely empty handed.
She'll be part of the group of 12 that will take part in a summer tour.
And the exposure she has received on the show as an artist will help her musical career as it has for past contestants who were voted off the show.
Reinhart's ouster, however, has left many fans disappointed.
Village President Judy Abruscato in a statement released immediately after the results show, expressed gratitude for Reinhart and her success on the show.
"We have all enjoyed getting to know Haley better these past weeks, and although we are obviously disappointed with tonight's results, I am confident that this will come to be seen as only a temporary set back in her soon-to-be-flourishing career," she said.
Adding: "For the Village of Wheeling, Haley Reinhart will always be our American Idol."
After making it to the top three, and being treated to a hometown parade last Saturday, the Wheeling native did not receive enough votes and was ousted from the American Idol competition on last night's results show.
Reinhart looked stunned after learning her fate, but she quickly regained her composure and performed her last song of the competition.
With her trademark smile, Reinhart sang her rendition of Elton John's "Bennie and the Jets."
She shook the hands of all three Idol judges while she performed and made her way into the audience, eventually making her way to her parents who were in attendance.
Her ouster came at the end of a rough week for the Harper College student.
During her Wednesday night performance, Reinhart, who was performing with her father who was on lead guitar, fell on stage.
Again, she was quick to regain her composure and bounced right back, finishing the performance.
Idol judge Steven Tyler joked with Reinhart after the performance, asking if she had fallen for him.
He followed up his comment with a more serious one.
"You know, it's not about how many times you fall down. It's about how many times you get back up."
Jennifer Lopez called her quick recovery, "the sign of a true professional," noting that she and other performers had at one time or another fallen on stage during a performance.
Reinhart won't come away from the competition completely empty handed.
She'll be part of the group of 12 that will take part in a summer tour.
Reinhart's ouster, however, has left many fans disappointed.
Village President Judy Abruscato in a statement released immediately after the results show, expressed gratitude for Reinhart and her success on the show.
"We have all enjoyed getting to know Haley better these past weeks, and although we are obviously disappointed with tonight's results, I am confident that this will come to be seen as only a temporary set back in her soon-to-be-flourishing career," she said.
Adding: "For the Village of Wheeling, Haley Reinhart will always be our American Idol."
