Hindsight is 20/20 and yes, rules are rules. But if American Idol’s week-old twist, the Judges’ Save, is truly intended to drum up drama and make us wonder if a singer with one foot out the door might get plucked from the ashes, Alexis Grace (as well as Jorge and Jasmine before her) should have been afforded the chance to revisit any of her previous performances, and not just the one most responsible for getting her booted.

“I’m going to be honest — I think it could have [made a difference]“, Alexis told TVGuide.com when asked if a different encore might have succeeded in saving her. “If I sang the first song that I sang, ‘Never Loved a Man,’ maybe I’d still be there.”

The 21-year-old Tennessean, however, instead had to re-croon “Jolene.” The second time around, and as Simon & Co. ostensibly reconsidered her fate, Alexis nervously tried to “dirty” it up a bit with edgier vocals. But no tweak to the country tune could reverse her fortune.

“‘Jolene’ is a beautiful song and I loved to sing it; I just don’t think it was [the judges'] favorite performance [of mine],” Alexis shrugs. As such, she says, “I didn’t really get to … remind them why they picked me, or why America picked me.”

Under a different set of rules, Alexis reiterates, “I probably would have chosen a different song.” (Source)

Idol fans weren’t the only ones surprised and disappointed by Wednesday’s elimination of early favorite Alexis Grace. “I was like, ‘Is this a bad dream? What’s going on?’” the 21-year-old Memphis native told PEOPLE Thursday. “It’s hard. I’m obviously disappointed.”

The news is particularly hard to swallow as it means she just missed making the cut for this summer’s Idol tour. “I’d set a goal for myself to make tour,” says Grace. “But everybody has their times where they don’t do exactly what they want to in life, and it only gives them more encouragement to work harder. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

For a brief moment on Wednesday’s show, it seemed Grace might get a reprieve with the new “judges save” rule, but after she forgot some words to “Jolene” and cracked a couple notes, judge Simon Cowell proclaimed the performance “wasn’t good enough” for Grace to stick around. “If I’d remembered the words and been more in control of it, that might’ve helped,” Grace says. “But it’s early in the game and I could see why they would want to save it for later. It’s better television.”

Grace says she had grown particularly close to fellow Idol Megan Joy, who’s also a young mom, and that the two had joked that if they’d both made the tour, Grace’s daughter Ryan, 2, and Joy’s son Ryder, also 2, would become “boyfriend and girlfriend.” “But they still can,” says Grace with a laugh, “because Megan and I said we’re going to buy condos on the beach somewhere right next to each other so they can go over and play with each other all the time.”

Grace’s biggest challenge on Idol was being away from her daughter, even though she called her every day so the two could sing the Barney song together. She’s looking forward to their reunion next Tuesday, when she returns to Memphis after a round of press in New York City. “I’m going go home and watch Elmo with her,” Grace says. “We’re going to go play with the toys in her bedroom. That’s the first thing I’m doing, and I can’t wait.”

When Ryan gets older, Grace — who is engaged to Ryan’s father but so far has not set a wedding date — hopes her daughter will learn from mom’s Idol experience. “It’ll show her that you’ve got to work hard for what you want and never give up,” says Grace, who plans to eventually record a blues/soul album and hopefully tour on her own. “Because of this, I think I’m going to have a really great daughter. I feel very proud.” (Source)

The only thing worse than going home from American Idol on the second week of eliminations is going home on country week when country is in your veins and a staple of your home state. Thus was the case with Alexis Grace, the Memphis, Tenn., pink-tipped single mom who lost it on Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.”

“I feel kind of like I let my state down,” says Alexis. “I think I sing country well. It was a disappointment. But I will redeem myself.”

While most Idols are shocked to go, Alexis had a sixth sense that her number was up. “I knew before we even got there that I would be in the bottom three. I just knew it. I had a feeling from what the judges said,” she says. She also knew her last-ditch take on “Jolene,” which she almost performed with a guitar but decided against, was hampered by her sadness of being voted out. “I was upset,” she admits. “Sometimes you have bad nights and that’s what happened.”

Though the judges said they considered using the Judges’ Save on her, she says, “It was very early in the game. It wouldn’t be good for TV if they did. It just wasn’t the right time.”

So what are her plans for the future?

She’s not letting one bad attempt at country stop her from the music she loves. Alexis plans to pursue a music career that’s a little bit soul, a little bit blues and, yes, a little bit country. “I kind of like the three combined together. Maybe Joss Stone mixed with Carrie Underwood and Sheryl Crow.” Alexis says she also plans to take the pink out of her hair: “I might change the pink highlights a little bit though and turn them into something else.  But [I'll] definitely keep the edgy look.” (Source)

Unfortunately, Alexis was voted off “American Idol” last night. Here’s People’s article on her elimination.

Both this fansite and the community will continue on and will keep following Alexis’ career. I’ll be finishing getting the “AI” photos up in the gallery and other stuff I have to add as soon as possible.

Don’t forget to watch Alexis on Idol tonight, and remember to vote!

I’m working on adding screencaps from the earlier “AI” episodes and have two in the gallery now.

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Alexis Grace, 21, Memphis, Tenn., on her belting out some big ones: “I’m dying to belt out some Dusty Springfield, ‘Son of a Preacher Man.’ I’d also like to do some James Brown, ‘Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag’ and ‘It’s a Man’s World.’ I like the old classics.” The pink-tipped cutie also got a present from her family recently: “They sent me a laptop so I can iChat with my fiancé and daughter. I don’t plan to use it to google myself though!” [Source]