Dark horse Lee DeWyze was crowned “American Idol” on Wednesday, beating front-runner Crystal Bowersox in an upset result on America’s most-watched television show.
DeWyze, 24, won the coveted title and a recording contract after millions of Americans cast their votes for the bluesy guitarist despite what “Idol” judges had deemed a better showing by Bowersox in Tuesday’s performance finale.
“I have never been happier in my life,” said an emotional DeWyze, who worked in a Chicago paint shop before auditioning for the Fox TV singing contest a year ago.
Initially shy and ill at ease, he blossomed in the later rounds and emerged as a serious threat to rocker and single mom Bowersox after he delivered an emotional version of the Leonard Cohen classic “Hallelujah” in the semi-final last week.
On Tuesday, “Idol” judges all but anointed Bowersox the winner. Outgoing judge Simon Cowell described her final song, “Up to the Mountain” as “outstanding.”
But Americans felt differently and after the counting of votes cast by text and telephone, DeWyze was pronounced the winner at the end of a two-hour finale that featured performances by Christina Aguilera, Janet Jackson and Joe Cocker.
Past “Idols” — as well as former judge Paula Abdul — returned to give Cowell an emotional send-off on his last appearance on the show. The British music executive is leaving to launch a U.S. version of his “The X-Factor” talent show on Fox in the fall of 2011.
DeWyze’s cover version of U2′s hit “Beautiful Day” will be released as his first single. His debut album, on a Sony Music Entertainment record label, will likely follow in the fall.
Now in its 9th season, “American Idol” is still America’s most popular TV show, but has seen audiences slip by about 9 percent this year to an average 23.9 million viewers per episode.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant and Alex Dobuzinskis)
Dannii Minogue ‘to take revenge on Sharon Osbourne in autobiography’
Melbourne, May 06 (ANI): Dannii Minogue is all set to settle scores with arch enemy Sharon Osbourne – through her autobiography.
Osbourne fell out with Minogue when they were both judges on Britain”s X Factor talent show.
According to the Herald Sun, the stunner will reportedly fire at Osbourne, who poked fun at her “appalling plastic surgery”, said she had “no sense of humour” and branded her “f—— useless” before she left the show.
Minogue was asked if judges Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh would want copy approval on what she was writing, and she told entertainment website TV Biz: “They won”t, but Sharon might.”
Minogue had suffered lot of scathing comments by the outspoken Osbourne during her tenure as a judge on the show.
“Dannii”s got the chance to tell the world exactly what she thinks of Sharon,” an insider said of the book.
The insider added: “She”s not going to hold back considering the abuse she”s received.” (ANI)