Dad of 'American Idol' finalist having fun, too

ATLANTA - Former Atlanta Police Chief Eldrin Bell is a big fan of Fox&#39;s hit talent competition, ``American Idol.&#39;&#39; He hasn&#39;t missed a single show - or his son&#39;s performances. <br> <br> Bell, who spent 33 years on the Atlanta police force, now runs a security consulting business in Georgia. <br> <br> ``I&#39;m no longer Eldrin Bell,&#39;&#39; he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in Tuesday editions. ``I&#39;m Justin&#39;s dad. He tells me, &#39;Dad, I used to be around you, and everyone called me Bell&#39;s kid. Now, it&#39;s the other way around.&#39;&#39;&#39; <br> <br> On Wednesday, Justin Guarini or Kelly Clarkson will be named an ``American Idol&#39;&#39; by viewers. The two-part finale airs Tuesday (9-10 p.m. EDT) and Wednesday (8-10 p.m. EDT). Results will be announced Wednesday, with the winner landing a recording contract with a major label. <br> <br> Bell, 67, has flown from Atlanta to Los Angeles every week since the show began this summer. ``I&#39;m enjoying it,&#39;&#39; he said. <br> <br> His only complaint: his son&#39;s response to criticism from &#39;Idol&#39;s&#39; infamous judge, Simon Cowell, a few weeks ago. Guarini just asked the crowd what they thought of his rendition of Michael Jackson&#39;s ``Pretty Young Thing.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> ``We had a little talk about it,&#39;&#39; Bell said. ``I said ... &#39;Your business is to sing. You don&#39;t make flip remarks like that.&#39;&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Guarini has since apologized and, in this week&#39;s People magazine, said the moment was a ``low point.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Guarini, whose parents are divorced, lived in Atlanta until his mother moved to Doylestown, Pa. in the mid-1980s. His mother, former CNN anchor Kathy Pepino, is married to retired physicist Jerry Guarini.

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