IDOL TRACKER: Results

Wednesday night brought one of the more touching dismissals in “American Idol” history as Scott MacIntyre, the visually impaired singer-songwriter, was eliminated, finishing in eighth place.

The journey of the Scottsdale, Ariz., native was one of the most heartwarming spectacles of “Idol’s” eight seasons. A gentle, perpetually smiling 23-year-old, MacIntyre made his time on the show notable for his good humor and a sense that despair was unknown to him, even as he struggled to perform in his final weeks.

MacIntyre was the first blind or seriously disabled contestant to compete in the finals. Although there were initial worries about how he would fare onstage, he seamlessly blended in.

In fact, as the task of gently guiding MacIntyre from point to point in each evening’s choreography was passed from contestant to contestant, the responsibility seemed to draw the group closer in a way studio audiences found touching.

MacIntyre was eliminated in a contest in which more than 34 million votes were cast, landing him in the bottom two alongside Anoop Desai. When host Ryan Seacrest gave the result, the audience burst into an ovation for the singer.

His struggles were not quite over, however. MacIntyre was given the chance to “sing for his life” as the judges deliberated whether to invoke their once-a-season save and allow MacIntyre to return next week. While he reprised his rendition of Survivor’s “The Search Is Over,” the judges debated, with Paula Abdul and Kara DioGuardi appearing to be urging that MacIntyre be saved, while Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson held back. For the save rule to be invoked, it must come by a unanimous decision.

When asked for a verdict, Cowell announced he was bringing MacIntyre’s journey on the “Idol” stage to an end.

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richard.rushfield @latimes.com