‘American Idol’ Cast-off Aaron Kelly Plots Country Career

At 17, Aaron Kelly was this season's youngest 'American Idol' finalist. His journey on the show ended this week with elimination following his performance of Frank Sinatra's 'Fly Me to the Moon.' But Aaron, who'll take part in the Idols Live tour later this year, isn't planning to follow in the footsteps of Ol' Blue Eyes. Instead, he'll take a bit of advice from judge Simon Cowell and pursue the musical genre that's in his comfort zone.

"Country music is what I've grown up listening to and what I feel I fit most comfortably with," Aaron said in a post-elimination conference call (quote via USA Today). "The people who inspire me the most are Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban. They have such great, honest music, and I have such a great time performing country music. I see myself hopefully going down that road."

Aaron, who not only sings but writes songs as well, added that he would love to work with Rascal Flatts in the future. "They're a huge inspiration for me," he said. "I got to meet them and take a picture with them. They're really down-to-earth guys. That was one of the highlights for me, getting to meet someone who inspired me so much. They thanked me for doing their music on the show, and it's an honor. I look up to them so much."