Fans crown Hicks new 'American Idol'

Taylor Hicks, the gray-haired live wire, was named the winner of "American Idol" on Wednesday night, beating Katharine McPhee, the looker with the lovely voice.

More than 63 million votes were cast for the singing showdown, host Ryan Seacrest announced.

Taylor Hicks, the winner in the nationally televised finale Wednesday of "American Idol," has two distinguishing features: He's a 29-year-old Alabaman who has gone prematurely gray, and he tries awfully hard to over-sing like soul-crushing crooner Michael Bolton.

But even as Hicks huffed and puffed his way through his ponderous signature ballad, "Do I Make You Proud," while runner-up Katharine McPhee faded into an instant prime-time footnote, it was clear that he was not the night's biggest story.

Instead, show-stopping performances by Mary J. Blige and Prince signaled that Wednesday's decisive winner was the music industry, which shows that the"Idol" has become a greater phenomenon than a novel song contest . The franchise has led to 33 million records sold by contestants since 2002. It draws an average of more than 25 million viewers a show, nearly double the size of the audience for the Grammy Awards, and commands $1.3 million per 30-second advertisement, a rate exceeded only by the Super Bowl and Academy Awards telecasts.

In addition to its TV success, "Idol" is also rocking the music industry.

Sales figures for albums and singles connected to "Idol" are in the multimillions, and past contestants are proving to be much more than flashes in the pan. The first winner, Kelly Clarkson, has gone on to nab Gram of mys, and last year's winner, Carrie Underwood, just received her first Academy of Country Music awards.

The 'Idol' is also turning out to be a world phenomenon. It is pervasive and has a far outreach, promoting a culture akin to what was seen in the 1960s. That was the decade of youth when baby boom generation became teenagers and young adults and they moved away from the conservative 50s. John F. Kennedy, the youngest president in US history ushered in a new era of change. American's loved rock music and Elvis Presley became a legend. Short skirts became a fashion for the young who became independent. Just across the Atlantic, a young music band of four Englishman "the Beatles," sporting long hair transformed a whole generation's lifestyle.

Well, the "Idol" bandwagon is roaring across the globe. These contests will bring exciting opportunities and prospects for the young and talented.