Kelly Clarkson wins on 'American Idol'
By David Bauder
Associated Press
NEW YORK — Kelly Clarkson, a cocktail waitress from Texas whose signature song was Aretha Franklin's "Respect," was judged America's next pop star yesterday by the viewers of "American Idol."
Associated Press
After more than 15 million telephone votes were cast by viewers, the 20-year-old Clarkson beat Justin Guarini, the big-haired crooner from outside Philadelphia.
Kelly Clarkson, 20, gets a hug amid a group of other "American Idol" finalists, including runner-up Justin Guarini, right rear. Clarkson yesterday was declared the winner of the Fox televised talent competition.
Clarkson was the survivor among 10,000 entrants who thought they had what it takes to be pop stars. Along the way, the Fox series became the television hit of the summer, particularly among young viewers.
Even Simon Cowell, the British judge with a penchant for the withering insult, was seen to wipe away a tear at the result.
Clarkson earns a recording contract, and will release a CD single later this month and a full album in November.
"How am I going to sing this next song while I'm crying?" Clarkson said before launching into her upcoming single, "A Moment Like This." She sang "Respect" for her initial audition and again Tuesday, before the final voting opened.
More than 18.2 million people watched "American Idol" Tuesday night as Clarkson and Guarini, 23, sang three songs each. More were expected for yesterday's two-hour finale, as it has been the most popular show for weeks among teenagers and young adults.
Fox stretched out the suspense in a two-hour show, announcing the winner seven minutes before it ended.
Celebrities sprinkled the crowd at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre, including sitcom stars Ray Romano and Jane Kaczmarek.
More than 100 million votes were cast over the course of the show this summer.
One viewer, singer Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks, said she voted five times for Clarkson, her fellow Texan.
"I knew from the first episode that Kelly was the best one on there," Maines said.
In Clarkson's hometown of Burleson, Texas, more than 500 students and their parents gathered in the gym of her old high school to cheer her victory.
"I'm just proud of her. It's like a dream to see our friend fulfill her dream," said Ashley Donovan, who worked with Clarkson in a movie theater in this town about 10 miles south of Fort Worth.
Clarkson sang in her school's choir and performed the lead in the school production of "Brigadoon" her senior year. She tried to make it in the music industry in Los Angeles after graduation, but returned to Burleson discouraged over rejection.
All three of the show's judges — Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul — thought Clarkson was the more deserving of the two. Cowell said he had to "begrudgingly admit the talent is better here."
Trying to discover stars among amateurs has a long history in American entertainment. Frank Sinatra won a radio amateur hour in 1937.
More recently, the band O-Town's career was launched through ABC's "Making the Band" and Eden's Crush was launched on the WB's "Popstars."
Will Young, who won the British version of "American Idol," sold more than 1 million copies of his first single.
Clarkson is set up for similar success. Two nights in a row, she sang the songs for her first single, before a prime-time audience.
Fox will feature the show's top performers on a special Sept. 23, and they'll head out on tour soon after. The "American Idol" winner has also been tapped to sing the national anthem at the Lincoln Memorial on Sept. 11, the Washington Post reported.
A sequel to the show is expected on Fox this winter.
Through the final weeks of competition, Clarkson and Guarini said they were the best of friends and weren't interested in undercutting each other.
"I'm so happy with tonight's decision," Guarini said. "No one deserves it more than this woman."
