The pressure builds as reality television singing contest American Idol rapidly approaches its final showdown on May 20. But contestant Jason Castro of Rockwall, Texas will no longer need to worry after being voted off of American Idol during tonight’s Results Show.

Moments before the dismissal announcement, an impish Castro had resolved himself to a fourth-place exit, confessed the growing show workload had gotten the best of him.

“It’s three songs next week,” Castro said with a wide-eyed blank look that broke into a trademark impish grin. “I don’t know what I would’ve done.”

The ever-candid Castro who continued to nervously flipped a stack of shoulder-length dreadlocks over his shoulder had known for awhile that “my inexperience is starting to show this late in the competition.” But after stumbling Tuesday night over Bob Marley and Bob Dylan classics followed by - someone told him last night that he shot the tambourine man,” Castro realized the jig was up.

Syesha Mercado, 21, who had narrowly escaped banishment in six of the previous eight rounds, joined Castro on death’s doorstep after a screechy “Proud Mary” and mixed reviews after “A Change Is Gonna Come” on Tuesday.

David Cook (”Hungry like the Wolf”, “Baba O’Reilly”) and David Archuleta (”Stand By Me,” “Love Me Tender”) were put straight through to the May 13 semifinal round. Mercado will accompany the pair of Davids.

Castro’s quarterfinal effort during Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame Week included the singer’s most experimental tune of the season. A spliced-down 90 second version of reggae-rooted “I Shot the Sheriff” needed for airing and a questionable arrangement was deemed a misfire by panelists Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell, while wiping out three measures of lyrics in “Mr. Tambourine Man” was a self-inflicted wound that Castro would not overcome.

This week’s Ford commercial plotted the Top Four American Idols as conquistadors. If only the Mustang 5.0 in the footage was capable of charging away from the fuel pump…

Viewer questions supplied the usual chuckles and noggin scratches; ranging from a Pittsburgh resident self-promoting a date with David Cook to an adolescent inquiring the delay in knighting Cowell.

The program also featured performances by Maroon 5 and “Idol” Season Four runner-up Bo Bice.

The American Idol Top Three will sing 8-9 p.m. May 13, followed by the Results Show from 9-10 p.m. Wednesday night. Both shows are on Fox.

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