American Idol

Leah Marlene, a local artist, was booted from the season finals of 'American Idol

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ABC Heart of Illinois Local musician Leah Marlene was knocked off 'American Idol' in the first round of the Season 20 finals

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The long journey of the Town of Normal native to the final episode has garnered tremendous support both locally and globally

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The first round of performances featured songs from Bruce Springsteen's songbook

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The first artist was Leah, who sang her rendition of "Cover Me" from Bruce Springsteen's 1984 album Born in the USA

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The finalists' visits to their hometowns were emphasised to kick off the second round

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Marlene was the first for this round once again, presenting a montage depicting her return to the Town of Normal on Tuesday

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It began with her visiting Parkside Junior High and Normal West High Schools, where she was greeted in the hallways by friends

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As she sang with the school choir and reunited with old instructors, she was spotted with festive yellow decorations adorning the walls

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She then visited her family, joining them for dinner before her performance downtown later that evening

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The montage ended with her arriving downtown in a private escort and her live performance in front of tens of thousands of people

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