It's All Up To 'Idol' Viewers
Bill Hutchinson
Daily News (New York)
September 4, 2002
It's time for a drumroll for soulful songbird Kelly Clarkson and funky-haired
hunk Justin Guarini.
The final contestants on the summer TV hit "American Idol" tried
nailing all the right notes last night in their singing showdown.
But now their fate lies in the hands of more than 16 million couch potatoes, who
have faithfully tuned in to the Fox TV phenomenon. Viewers began voting by phone
after Clarkson, 20, of Burleson, Tex., and Guarini, 20, of Doylestown, Pa., took
turns at the microphone last night.
The winner will be announced in tonight's two-hour finale broadcast from the
Kodak Theater in Los Angeles.
Whoever is crowned the "American Idol" not only gets a curtain call
but a major recording and management contract.
The two survivors even have attracted the attention of Las Vegas bookmakers,
who yesterday made Guarini a 5-to-6 favorite to win the talent contest. But
Clarkson and Guarini already have proven they are the best of the best. About
10,000 contestants tried out for the show before the field was whittled to 10,
then to three and now just two.