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"About 50 former American Idol winners and contestants paid tribute to Simon Cowell on Wednesday night&amp;apos;s finale.But two former stand-outs were missing: season 8 runner-up Adam Lambert and season 7&amp;apos;s David Cook, the only winner who wasn&amp;apos;t there.\r\nPHOTOS: Amazing American Idol makeoversLambert, 28, announced on Twitter that he wasn&amp;apos;t invited after blogs incorrectly reported he blew off rehearsals.&amp;quot;HAHA. I have now just been made aware of more gossip and rumor mill: First of all, i was never asked to appear on the finale in any capacity,&amp;quot; he said. &amp;quot;All i ever heard was:&amp;quot;you&amp;apos;ve not been asked to perform on finale.Would you like to sit in the audience?&amp;quot; Me:sorry-Too much work to do today.&amp;quot;\r\nPHOTOS: Before they were American Idol judgesHe&amp;apos;s busy preparing for his first tour.&amp;quot;Would have loved 2 have been at the Idol Finale to wish Simon farewell and support the finalists, but this tour for my fans is my priority,&amp;quot; Lambert added. &amp;quot;was put on vocal rest yesterday from MY show&amp;apos;s rehearsals which doubled the work 2 do 2day since all equip. had 2 be sent back east tonight.&amp;quot;Cook, 27, was at a charity event in his hometown of Kansas City. (He has been active in raising funds for cancer research after his brother died of brain cancer in May 2009.)\r\nVIDEO: Relive the worst auditions of Season 9&amp;quot;Congrats to Lee DeWyze! So sorry I could be there to see all my fellow idols. I&amp;apos;m there in spirit!&amp;quot; he wrote on Twitter.Season 5&amp;apos;s Chris Daughtry was also absent, but Twittered that he was performing in Kansas City."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/why-adam-lambert-david-cook-skipped-idol-finale-2010275>