Phil Speaks: Will he miss the tour?

So if I needed another reason not to fork over the $48.50 for the Idols Live, I may have just found it…

During his interview with the media today, Phil said that he might miss the tour. "My primary responsibility is to the U.S. Navy. The possibility exists that they will need me for a mission." But Phil says it looks “promising” for him to be there...

Phil is a Musician Third Class stationed with the Navy Band in Jacksonville, Florida. He said he plans to fulfill his commitment (which is until October 2008) but said that could change “depending on the circumstances that come my way.” Apparently, there are some security concerns with the Navy that may affect his position as a Naval singer, which takes him to high schools around the country…

So how did Phil find his groove in the last two weeks? Less pressure. “I think once I got to the bottom three, and the bottom two, at one point or another I just said, 'Ah, forget it! It's all gravy now, I should have gone home weeks ago!'”…

Phil told reporters that next week will be Bee Gees week and he was planning to do “Islands In the Stream.” But Phil said he’s kind of glad he won’t be around. “Here's the deal: Next week, what's gonna be funny is that all four of those jokers are going to shine. It's going to be a great week for them. That's one of the reasons I'm semi-glad I got cut this week. I would have hated to have gone out on a night when all of the judges were like, 'Man, I just wasn't feeling that.'”

Phil also gave his take on the competition from here on out: “At this point, here's the deal: Melinda may be the best singer that's ever been on “American Idol.” LaKisha may be the most passionate singer ever. Jordin may have the strongest upper range of anybody. And Blake is the most original artist. So, being a fan of the show — and I'm not participating anymore, so I can say this unbiased — I think it's the best top four in the history of “American Idol.” I try to predict who gets voted off each week, and I'm never, ever, ever right, but I couldn't possibly predict who'll go next week”…