David Archuleta's Dad Loses American Idol Backstage Pass

Backstage interfering has caught up "American Idol" favorite David Archuleta's dad, who's been banned from rehearsals, a person working for the TV talent contest said Friday.

Producers of the show told Jeff Archuleta this week that he can no longer join 17-year-old son, David Archuleta, as he prepares for the show.

The show's action was first reported Friday by the online Web site TMZ.
David Archuleta of Murray, Utah, is one of three contestants left as the top-rated Fox show heads toward the Jan. 20-21 finale.

Jeff Archuleta's intense backstage involvement had become a source of concern for the series, the person connected with "American Idol" said - but it was a lyric change on Tuesday's show that pushed producers to act.

Despite a warning, Jeff Archuleta insisted on altering "Stand by Me," one of two songs his son sang on the show Tuesday. By adding a verse from Sean Kingston's "Beautiful Girls," the father incurred additional costs for "American Idol," the person said.
-