Ryan Seacrest, left, announces Nick Fradiani the winner at the American Idol XIV finale at the Dolby Theatre on Wednesday, May 13, 2015, in Los Angeles. |
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Nick Fradiani is the latest winner of "American Idol."
The
29-year-old rocker of Guilford, Connecticut, bested soulful 22-year-old
vocalist Clark Beckham of White House, Tennessee, to win the 14th
edition of the Fox talent competition.
"This is amazing," he told "Idol" host Ryan Seacrest. "This is the best day of my life."
Fradiani
joins such champions as Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Phillip
Phillips and Kris Allen, as well one more winner to be determined next
year. Fox announced earlier this week that the next season would be the
last for "Idol."
Before he was revealed as the winner on Wednesday, Fradiani dueted with singer-songwriter Andy Grammer.
"I
can't even think right now," Fradiani said after Seacrest informed him
that he received the most viewer
votes - without revealing the exact
number cast.
Fradiani's win came on the
strength of his renditions Tuesday of Matchbox 20's "Bright Lights,"
Jason Mraz's "I Won't Give Up" and "Beautiful Life," intended as his
first single. Beckham sang Ray Charles' "Georgia on
My Mind," Bill
Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" and "Champion."
The two-hour extravaganza kicked off with Fradiani and Beckham joining Fall Out Boy on their song "Centuries."
The
series' penultimate finale also resurrected Chic, Ricky Martin, NKOTB,
Michael McDonald and Steven Tyler for performances, as well as judges
Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr.
The
once-blockbuster singing contest, which hit a peak of 30.3 million
viewers in 2005, is now averaging 9.15 million viewers per episode,
according to the Nielsen company.
Lopez, Urban
and Connick Jr. are due back at the judges' table for next year's 15th
and final "Idol" outing. Beckham had a few words of advice for those
looking to become the last-ever "Idol."
"You have to be good at lot of different things," he said. "It's not just singing a song."
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