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CNN Live At Daybreak

America Has Brand New Idol

Aired September 05, 2002 - 05:25   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: America has a brand new idol. Millions of American viewers watched last night as 20-year-old Kelly Clarkson beat out her rival to be crowned the next American idol. The Texas singing sensation wins a $1 million recording contract after topping 23-year-old Justin Guarini. The two were the only ones left standing from a field of more than 10,000 pop start hopefuls.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think Kelly Clarkson deserves it more than anyone. She's wonderful. Those are her songs. I can't sing those songs nearly as good as she can, believe me. And those are hers and I couldn't be happier because she deserves it.

KELLY CLARKSON, AMERICAN IDOL WINNER: I credit god. Oh, god. Now, yes. The lord is, he's a wonderful thing. So many people are talented. If you didn't hear the choir behind me during the last song, which you probably did because I was crying, oh. But I mean, you know, so many people are talented and for god to choose me to be one and the other nine, because I'm telling you, you're going to hear from them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Along with millions of viewers around the country, hundreds of people from Kelly's hometown of Burleson, Texas anxiously watched as the winner was announced. A packed gymnasium exploded in cheers as Clarkson was named the first American idol.

More now from Jeff Crilley of our Dallas/Fort Worth affiliate KDFW.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF CRILLEY, KDFW CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A thousand of Kelly's closest friends packed into the bleachers where she as a student sat just two years ago.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: K.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: E.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: L.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: L.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Y. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What does it spell?

UNIDENTIFIED FANS: Kelly!

CRILLEY: They went crazy when Fox took live reports from the gym. And they cheered wildly every time she took the stage.

(on camera): How excited, on a scale of one to 10?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ten, totally.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Eleven.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Twenty.

CRILLEY (voice-over): Finally, it was time to announce the winner. The seconds seemed like hours. And then, the news they had been praying for.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The winner of American idol 2002 is Kelly Clarkson.

CRILLEY: Kelly Clarkson is now the American idol. But no matter what happens to her career from here on out, Burleson will always be able to say they had her first.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Unbelievable.

That was Jeff Crilley of CNN affiliate KDFW in Dallas/Fort Worth.

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