USA: 20 YEAR OLD KELLY CLARKSON WINS THE FIRST "AMERICAN IDOL" COMPETITION ON NATIONAL TELEVISION FROM 23 YEAR OLD JUSTIN GUARINI.

Record ID: 393081

  • Title: USA: 20 YEAR OLD KELLY CLARKSON WINS THE FIRST "AMERICAN IDOL" COMPETITION ON NATIONAL TELEVISION FROM 23 YEAR OLD JUSTIN GUARINI.
  • Date: 4th September 2002
  • Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 4, 2002) (REUTERS) VARIOUS: (SOUNDBITE) (English) PERFORMER KELLY CLARKSON, SAYING: "Oh, I credit God. Oh, God. The Lord is, he's a wonderful thing. So many people are talented. If you didn't hear the choir behind me, which you probably did because I was crying... but you know, so many people are talented, and for God to c
  • Embargoed: 19th September 2002 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Entertainment,General
  • Reuters ID: LVABCAIYLAVWQR39UBDKQSAW456K
  • Story Text: A handful of amateur singers from the United States have found themselves in a media frenzy, thanks to the television program "American Idol." The series, watched by millions, reached its conclusion with a live broadcast from Los Angeles on Wednesday (September 4, 2002) in which the winning performer was crowned by popular vote.
    A 20-year old former cocktail waitress, who wowed U.S. viewers with her singing on national television this summer, was crowned Fox's first "American Idol" on Wednesday (September 4, 2002).
    Kelly Clarkson took home top honors during the broadcast by beating out Justin Guarini, a 23-year old former door-to-door salesman. The bushy-haired Guarini charmed the country with his laid-back singing style but was unable to match Clarkson's vocal abilities.
    Clarkson ended the program by performing an emotional rendition of "A Moment Like This," the song slated to be Clarkson's first single under a new record deal arranged by the show's producers. Later, at a news conference, the vocalist thanked God for her success: "The Lord is, he's a wonderful thing. So many people are talented. If you didn't hear the choir behind me, which you probably did because I was crying... but you know, so many people are talented, and for God to choose me!"
    British judge Simon Cowell, who amused audiences with his sarcastic comments in the episodes leading up to Wednesday's finale, told journalists he has high hopes for Clarkson's singing career.
    "All the major producer-writers in the world are going to take this girl seriously," remarked Cowell.
    "If she had walked in with the same voice six months ago, nobody would be interested. So that's the advantage she's got now."
    Runner-up Guarini waxed philosophical about his fate: "Through the roller-coaster ride that this has been for me, I've learned more about who I am. I've learned about what kind of performer I'd like to be. I've learned about where I fit in all this and I've learned one very very important thing, that this is right, that this is the path that I'm supposed to be on."
    Since its premiere, "American Idol" has become a summer television phenomenon in the United States, as viewers watched a field of more than 10,000 pop-star hopefuls whittled down to the final two. In its next-to-last episode on Tuesday night, the program drew 18.2 million viewers, its largest audience to date, making it one of the most-watched shows of the summer.
    An estimated 15.5 million votes for the finalists were cast after the show, bringing the total to more than 100 million during the series run that began in early June. The millions of viewers who cast their votes after each show resulted in call-in volumes so heavy that telephone companies reported spikes in their loads in the hours after the Tuesday broadcasts.
    --
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