In this May 8, 2009 file photo, 'American Idol' contestant and Milwaukee local Danny Gokey sings the national anthem before the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers baseball game in Milwaukee.[Agencies]

LOS ANGELES – Danny Gokey is dancing off "American Idol," leaving showy Adam Lambert and twangy Kris Allen to duke it out in the finale of the popular Fox singing competition next week.

Gokey, the bespectacled 29-year-old church music director and recent widower from Milwaukee, was revealed to have received the fewest viewer votes on Wednesday.

Gokey had continually impressed the judges with his husky voice — but not his hip shaking — throughout the contest. "Idol" judge Simon Cowell called his cover of Joe Cocker's version of "You Are So Beautiful" on Tuesday a "vocal master class" but said his dancing during Terence Trent D'Arby's "Dance Little Sister" was "desperate."

Along with Lambert, Gokey had long been considered to be a front-runner of the eighth season, never appearing as one of the show's bottom vote-getters. "Idol" host Ryan Seacrest said more than 88 million votes were received with 1 million votes separating the top two singers, meaning next week's Lambert-Allen showdown may be closer than anticipated.

"Look, none of us would have predicted this, guys," Cowell said at the end of the show.