Michael Sarver: The nicest guy in the history of the world

Read below as last night's eliminated "American Idol" contestant Michael Sarver reveals that he truly is the nicest guy you've ever seen. He called every female interviewer "ma'am" and was incredibly polite. What a genuinely awesome guy.

You got mixed messages from your daughter about liking the competition but also wanting you to come home. Can you tell us about that?
McKenna liked seeing her dad on TV but right now I'm not home and I'm going to focus on getting home and making sure she knows I love her. But I do know she was absolutely excited to see me on TV and she replayed the DVR all the time.

Do you plan on taking her on tour?
I do plan on involving them [his family] on the tour, but not the whole time.

What did you learn the most from your experience on Idol?
Through my experience on Idol, I learned just how much I love my family. I've never been away from them that long and I really got a good hold on my priorities. Although I always want to do this music thing, it's really taught me a lot about myself.

What's the best piece of advice you received on the show?
A gentleman that's part of the crew continually said to us "Be here and be here now, be in this moment." It really kept us on our Ps & Qs and not letting this moment pass by without enjoying it.

Back on the oil rig, how much did you actually sing on the job?
Believe it or not, I didn't sing a whole lot for the guys. I'd sing to myself but an oil rig is quite loud so usually I'd hum to myself to keep myself encouraged and positive about what I was doing, but not a whole lot of entertaining the fellas.

Have they been supporting you?
Oh gosh, yes. I have gotten so much support not only from the company I work for but from other companies all over the country.

What was the conversation like with your wife after the results last night?
The first thing I remember saying was, "Well, I'm coming home." I think we're both collectively excited about that. My wife would've been 110% behind me the whole time I was on the show but now that I'm off she's excited that I'm coming home.

What do the contestants think of the back-and-forth interplay between the judges? It's hard to get feedback sometimes, I feel like. What do the contestants think of that?
Number one, I enjoy that. What people need to understand is that this is supposed to be a fun thing. They help that by goofing around. It does make it complicated sometimes because you may feel like they're not really listening to you but the fun they have on the show makes everybody smile, bringing a positive light to the TV world.

Kara made a comment the other night that we hadn't gotten a chance to see what kind of artist you would be. Do you know what kind of artist you'll be?
I think I showed that I'm not as country as people thought and that there's a lot of soul in me. I'm a soul singer and I believe I established that and I believe I established that I will work my tail off to do what I do.

Now that you are moving on, what kind of music do you think you'll put out?
It's definitely going to be an R&B/Pop soul album.

Would you compare yourself to any artists?
There's such a mixture of influence in my life but I really like the R&B/Pop style of Justin Timberlake but all the way across the aisle to Gavin DeGraw and the soulful rock. Just all kinds of things.

What are you most looking forward to on the tour?
I'm most looking forward to experiencing the fans. We live kind of in a bubble on American Idol and we know they're supportive but we don't get to actually physically see it. The tour is going to let us experience them one-on-one and I can't wait.

Do you have a message for your fans?
I thank you so much. You've blown my mind with your support and your messages. It means the world to me and I will never forget you.

The stress of being both a parent and a contestant has come up a lot this season. Are you at a disadvantage from the other contestants?
Actually I would consider myself at an advantage because I have a level of inspiration that people without kids don't get to experience. If anything, it's an advantage without a doubt. It's hard to deal with at times, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Are there any funny moments from the mansion?
The other night, as a matter of fact, me and Danny and Anoop played a nice game of basketball. It was quite fun. I was horrible but it was a blast. It's one of those things where you get on a basketball court with a couple guys and you just have a good time laughing.

Can Anoop play some basketball? He does go to North Carolina.
Yes, he can play. He's very passionate about a sport he loves very much. I dabbled in sports but basketball is one of those things where if you never get your shot down, you just don't. I'm kind of a husky guy and being nimble enough is kind of a challenge, but it was fun.

Did you think the judges would save you?
I felt like it wasn't going to happen, mostly based on Simon's previous comments about not feeling that I could win the show.

Were you insulted that Simon said that?
You know, it didn't necessarily tick me off or insult me but it did make me giggle. He knows better than that. We weren't there by mistake and I believe in my talent and I would not have been surprised if I had been around next week. I'm very proud of what I brought to that table. What Simon has to say is important and has a lot of influence and unfortunately it affected me in a negative way.

What was it about "Aint too Proud to Beg?" Talk about how you approached the song? What were you trying to do with it?
I really felt good about "Ain't too Proud to Beg." I saw it coming weeks ago when I heard about Motown Week coming. My hope was to accomplish energy and entertainment and also show a soulful side of me. I was disappointed about certain elements in my health not letting me give the song what it really deserved but I'm proud of the decision. Maybe my voice wasn't 100% but my heart was.

What was it like working with Smokey?
That was one of the classiest things of my life. For a man of his caliber to walk into a room and not shake your hand but give you a big hug. He was a class act and he encouraged us in so many ways and I'll never forget that experience.

How strongly do you think the judges' comments affect the votes you get? Do you think if Simon hadn't ruled you out of the running that more people might have taken a chance on you?
Absolutely. I think the judges have a huge impact on America. The bottom line is that they are smart, they know their stuff and they're talented in their own right and America listens to them.

What are you going to do between now and when the tour starts? Are you going back to the oil rig? Do you take time off?
Number one, I will not be going back to the oil rig. I don't think it'd be a great idea to take a chance on huritng myself and not being available for the tour. I'm going home to take some time off and spend time with my family. That's what they deserve and that's what they're gonna get.

You seemed relaxed last night. Were you relieved a little bit last night about going home?
I wasn't relieved because there was nothing to relieve me of, but once I found out that I was going home I was so excited to go home and spend time with my family.

What do you think your favorite American Idol moment is looking back?
My favorite moment is last night when I got to sing on the same stage as Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder. I have so much respect for them and to stand on that stage and sing on the same night as they did, it was amazing.

What happens after the tour?
I plan to record, I plan to get my music out there and show my true heart and artistry to America. Making it this far shows me there are quite a few people who respect what I have and I plan to give them more.

When you found out it was down to you and Matt, can you talk a little bit about him?
Matt Giraud is unbelievable. He was my roommate for a little while and I have incredible respect for him. What he does on the piano pretty much amazes everyone. Standing there with him made me more confident that I was going home. Really, he shined the night before and there was just no way in my mind that you could send him home. It was an incredible opportunity to work with him.

Are you a writer?
I've written over 800 songs since the age of 14. There's a lot of hard-lived life, good-lived life and the happiness that I experience now all through my music.

Closing thoughts?
To all of you guys that called in today, I appreciate the fact that you think enough of me to make the phone call. To all of my fans, I love you guys so much, you mean the world to me.

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