HOLLYWOOD — “American Idol” Season 14 came down to Clark Beckham, the 23-year-old Nashville musician, and Nick Fradiani, the 30-year-old band frontman from Connecticut. But who won the title?
After a night filled with the usual cavalcade of celebrity performances — including Daniel Seavey joining the New Kids on the Block for an awesome medley of the ’90s boy band’s hits — Fradiani was named the winner of “American Idol” XIV.
“Thank you guys so much, this is amazing. This is the best day of my life,” Fradiani told the audience after host Ryan Seacrest announced the results. A couple of hours later, he was still finding it hard to believe his good fortune.
Gracious to the end, Fradiani had some lovely words for his co-finalist Clark Beckham prior to the big announcement. “Clark is probably one of the best musicians I’ve ever been around, and he’s an even better person. He’s a great guy, I’m just honored to be on the stage with him.”
Earlier this week, FOX announced that next year will be “American Idol’s” last season. A TV staple for more than a decade — and a ratings juggernaut for much of that time — the show launched the careers of Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Jordin Sparks, Adam Lambert, Katharine McPhee and Clay Aiken, to name a few.
Fradiani’s debut single “Beautiful Life” is already available for download now on iTunes.
