validation error and status label control

I have EnableViewState="false" for a status label control.
It displays "data saved OK" message fine the first time the save button is clicked.
Then, I enter a wrong phone format and the validation control kicks in and displaing an error message
without reloading the page; that is great. But the "data saved OK" message is still there.
How do I get rid of the OK message when there's an error (note that the page is not post back and it should be that way)?
I also try another approach of not specifying the EnableViewState attribute but blank out the status in page_load, and the same thing happens.
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