The Associated Press

NEW YORK - Elton John thinks there's something "incredibly racist" about viewer voting on Fox TV's American Idol.

John - who rehearsed with the show's wannabe pop stars during a recent week in which they performed his songs - said three performers he was really impressed with "happened to be black, young female singers and they all seemed to be landing in the bottom three."

"These three girls would have the talent to be members of The Royal Academy or Juilliard," the British singer-songwriter told reporters. " The fact that they are constantly in the bottom three, ... , I find it incredibly racist."

A Fox network spokesman declined comment.

Last week, black vocalist Jennifer Hudson was voted off the show, and black singers La Toya London and Fantasia Barrino were among the bottom three vote-getters on American Idol.