Following is the interview with Lazaro Arbos after he was eliminated on American Idol last Thursday night. He finished No.6…

What was some of the best advice you got from the judges?

“They told me to stay away from low songs–they didn’t compliment my voice. I wish I could have picked a rangier song for Wednesday night. But, at the same time I have no regrets.”

What was going through your mind after you were eliminated?

“The part that got me the most sad was that I made such good friends with all
the girls remaining. The thought that I wasn’t going to be with them no more on
the show, really got to me. That was the hardest part.”

Is there any contestant in particular that you bonded with?

“Yes. I was really good friends with Amber Holcomb..

Was the atmosphere friendly backstage, or were there times it was more competitive?

“We got along for the most part. I would say that’s kind of normal to have disagreements and kind of fight. But at the end of the day, we got along really well. We count on each other.”

What are you most looking forward to on Idol Summer Tour?

“Meeting my fans backstage. I’m so grateful for their support.”

What happened with the guys group number and the forgo tten lyrics?

“We’ve never heard the song in our lives. I’m not talking for them. But when it comes to me–what I think went wrong was that we learned them in such a fast time and then on top of that [was] the pressure of a live show your nerves intensify. So I think that
anything that’s not very solid in your brain, you can forget.”

What kind of album would you like to make?

“I like love songs a lot, at the same time I like pop. I’d want to do a commercial pop album, but with some love songs as well.”

What was your favorite moment on Idol?

 “I got to meet a lot of amazing people that I’ll have life long bonds with. I think that
that this show definitely gave me a stronger mindet.”

Is there someone in the future you would love to sing with?

”For the finale we are trying to sing with Cher. That’s my goal.”

Is Cher a big inspiration to you?

”I know her. When the show came on, she saw me and she connected with me. She followed me on twitter and we’ve been talking back and forth since then. So I love her songs.”

Were you a fan before she reached out to you?

”I wasn’t too familiar with all of her songs, cause she came out way before me. I do love some of her latest songs. I love “Do You Believe”. I love “If I Can Turn Back Time,” and I loved her “Burlesque.”

After gaining confidence on Idol, what thing that you were afraid of are you looking forward to try at home?

“This show kinda forced me to lose my nerves. I don’t have a specific thing that I would like to do, but I would love to act.”

Is it true that you want  to act on Glee?

“Yes that is one of my goals after the tour.”

Are there any other TV shows you would like to appear on?

“Modern Family,” cause I love that show.”

Do you have any regrets about the songs you chose for Wednesday night?

“The first song was another hard song. We had a last minute key change. So it was kind of rough. But at the same time, I think I came back [with my next song] really well. I don’t think I had any regrets, because my last song I did really well.”

Did you have a feeling you would be leaving the show Thursday night?

”I wasn’t surprised ’cause all the guys had been going home. I wasn’t shocked that it was my turn. All the 5 women left are so good. In all honestly, winning a TV show wasn’t my main goal. My main goal was to get known and become a performer. And I think I was closer to that.”

Did you agree with Nicki that Jimmy was getting into your head and affecting your performances?

“We were never in the same room for more than 5 minutes. He was kind of like a mentor on the show. We never really got to interact more. But the times that we met, he seemed really nice. I kind ofquestion that. But at the same time, I do think that his bad comments about me–I did let them get them [get me] a little bit down.”

How does it feel to make it so far in the competition after having to overcome so much?

“I have so much going on, that I am most definitely looking for what’s to come next. I feel great.”

How did the experience change you?

My stuttering has definitely subsided a little bit more. I think part of that has to do with the fact that I’ve learned to control my nerves a little better.”

What is the first thing you are going to do when you get home?

Probably go to the park with my family cause I miss them a lot. I know for a fact that my old high school has a pep rally for me. I’m looking forward to that. We’ll see.”

Do you have any regrets from the show?

“Sometimes I wish I was smarter about choosing my songs. Because I think I picked songs that weren’t the right songs, every now and then. But at the same time, I do believe that everything does happen for a motive.”

What motivated you to audition for American Idol?

“The love for performing and the love for music. I’ve always been the kind of guy that wanted to do something with myself.”