Q: I was watching the news last night and Simon said “I think he forgot the words on purpose because he’s ready to go home.” I wanted your reaction to that.

A: I definitely did not do that on purpose. I couldn’t believe I forgot such a popular line. Somehow it slipped my mind.

Q: You still wanted to win as of last night?

A: As of yesterday I wanted to win and the day before. I think what it came down to was my inexperience and once we doubled up on songs I wasn’t able to focus. My mind was just split.

Q: Could you be a little more specific about your inexperience?

Sign up today, rate users, read stories, rate and comment on reality TV news, apply to a casting call or just make friends. JOIN TODAY! It's FREE!

A: It goes back to playing guitar in my freshman year in college and singing shortly thereafter. While I was learning I was teaching myself. I would learn songs but I would never learn them all the way through. So trying to learn two in a week has been tough.

Q: Once you knew you were on Idol did you have a chance to quickly do some more concerts before it was time to go there? What was the longest gig you did before you came on the show?

A: After my first audition I did a few more – like ten or twelve up through until Christmas time. The longest gig I’ve done is like 30 minutes.

Q: Now that you are going home what are you most excited to get back to in your regular day to day life?

A: Well I don’t know how soon that’s happening because from what I’m hearing I’m not going to get to go home because we’re going to New York next week and I have to come right back for the finale. I kind of miss working with my Dad.

Q: What do you do for work with your Dad?

A: He has a company that designs and builds custom swimming pools.

Q: On the show you appeared mellow and grateful on stage and never talked back to the judges. Are you as mellow as you appeared on American Idol?

A: I am very much. I’m kind of laid back and grounded.

Q: How did you feel last week when Simon said you weren’t the Jason they brought into the competition?

A: I was feeling the same thing. I was losing that power just because I couldn’t connect with the songs. I really had a hard time when we picked it up to two songs. I wasn’t connecting to either one.

Q: Do you feel like the show portrayed you how you really are?

A: I think it very much does. I am a goofy person and I have fun.

Q: After you forgot the lyrics did you go backstage and check them or did you remember them immediately afterwards?

A: When I got on stage that day it was really rushed and I barely sat in my seat and they told me to “go” and so my mind was just kind of in a blur. I sang the same chorus at the end and I remembered them then.

Q: There’s a conspiracy theory that on Tuesday night you mouthed the words “don’t vote” while Ryan was announcing the numbers. What did you actually say?

A: I was saying “vote” and I said it again to try and emphasize that.

Q: What were you thinking of singing next week had you made it to the final three?

A: Usually the songs I want to do don’t clear. There’s a song I hadn’t tried to clear yet by the Carey Brothers called Blue Eyes.

Q: What did you learn from your experience on Idol?

A: I’ve learned I can do a lot more than I thought. Before we did this I wasn’t really confident as a performer and I wasn’t doing it a whole lot. Now I did it for a few months straight on TV!

Q: Simon was pretty harsh at the end and you kind of took it and said you agreed with him. Where do you think it comes from that you don’t get offended or worked up about with what he says?

A: That night I was having fun with my songs. You can say whatever you want. I was confident with what I was doing and I have nothing to be ashamed of. So if he didn’t like it – fine. If it wasn’t what we needed for the competition – o.k. Sometimes what they say re-affirms what I already feel. It’s just another day and another song.

Q: Do you have one major regret from the show?

A: No not at all. I did everything the best I could under the circumstances.

Q: What do you hope to do next?

A: I’m looking forward to the tour. That’s going to be a blast. I don’t know after that. Wherever music leads me. I just want to play some music somewhere so…..

Q: When you look at all the other contestants, many of them who had professional backgrounds, obviously been performing way more than you, and some had even done records. What was it that they saw in you out of the 10,000 - 20,000 people that auditioned with very little experience that made them put you through?

A: I think it was the potential.

Q: The way you came across on the show was that you were the guy who wandered in and was having fun. But you wanted to win didn’t you?

A: I made it further than I ever imagined. I didn’t really consider it a real possibility that I could win until the last few weeks. I did kind of just wander in to see where it would go and it started going and then I was like “Alright, I’m here, I might as well be in it to win it.”

Q: You really never heard of the show Cats before?

A: I heard of the show. When I first heard the song I didn’t know it was from Cats and I didn’t realize it was a cat singing it until that moment when the producer told me.

Q: Did you know that you sort of drove the Jeff Buckley version of Hallelujah to the number one song? What did you think of that?

A: That was awesome. I realized how much power that American Idol has. It was such an honor. People haven’t heard the song but they should have and I’m glad now they have.

Q: Do you think it actually matters who wins or do you think you got the kind of exposure you need?

A: I think it very much does matter who wins or at least how far you get. Every week you get that much more of a chance because you’re never guaranteed anything in this business. But we’ve all been given the opportunity to have some exposure where people will take a second to listen.

Q: I kind of got the impression that you were a bit uncomfortable with some aspects of being famous. Have you enjoyed that experience?

A: It’s kind of a weird thing. I don’t really get it yet. I’ve never been the kind of guy to be star-struck or anything so it kind of takes me off-guard when people are so crazy. But it’s cool – it means they like you – it’s flattering.

Q: Did you think after you forgot the words you might be going home or did you think your fans would pull through for you and vote?

A: I didn’t know what was going to happen. But I kind of felt like I deserved to go because I had the weakest performance that night. At the same time I do have such loyal fans………

Q: Do you have a girlfriend?

A: I do right now, yes.

Q: In Texas?

A: Yes, she just finished school at home.

Q: Jason do you have any closing remarks?

A: Ummmmm…….I don’t know…….thanks?