And the newest Idol is....

The first Beatles song to hit the charts in 1964 was I Saw Her Standing There and Blake and Jordin joined forces to open the 2 hour Results Show with a playful performance of it. What a great reminder that the two best finalists were left standing. They are fun and talented and this is just a small taste of what we can look forward to no matter which one earns the crown. Then, in the first of the mega stars in line to entertain the waiting audience, Gwen Stefani appeared live via satellite to debut her latest single.

After Season One Miss American Idol, Kelly Clarkson, won the very first crown, she achieved huge selling and Grammy winning success, but she never came back to the American Idol stage until this year. We just saw her a few weeks ago during the Idol Gives Back celebration, and tonight she pop punk rocked the house with her hot new hit, Never Again. Is the song title an indicator of how long it will be till she comes back to American Idol next time?

Kelly provided a top-notch superstar crowd pleaser, but unfortunately she was followed by a completely dreadful song by this years top six boys: Brandon Rogers, Chris Sligh, Sanjaya Malakar, Phil Stacey and Chris Richardson. From the beginning it was clear that Blake was the only talented one in the bunch and it is still true tonight. Thankfully, Motown legend Smokey Robinson joined them for a medley of his hits including Being With You and the #1 smash from 1970, Tears Of A Clown. Blake was then able to step into the spotlight, where he belongs, to raise the roof with old skool rapper Doug E. Fresh. They ad-libbed and improvised the block rockin beats getting the thousands of fans up on their feets.

The very gifted top six girls then graced the stage with a diva-licious version of I Heard It Through The Grapevine. Before Marvin Gaye took it to #1 in 1968, Gladys Knight peaked at #2 with her rendition in 1967. What an honor for Stephanie Edwards, Gina Glocksen, Haley Scarnato, LaKisha Jones, Melinda Doolittle and Jordin Sparks to have the Legendary Diva herself join them for a medley of her other hits including I Feel A Song In My Heart and the #1 smash from 1973, Midnight Train To Georgia. You can only segue from one legend to another. Tony Bennett called in sick when he worked with the finalists, but tonight he showed up and sang For Once In My Life.

Season Six Miss American Idol Second Runner-Up, Melinda Doolittle used to sing back-up for Bebe and Cece Winans and tonight she was given the chance to share the stage with them equally. They brought church to the Kodak Theater demonstrating that this finalist could very easily score a #1 album on the Gospel charts. Blake and Jordin then scored the keys to their very own Ford Mustangs!

In 1994 the Pretenders were only able to take I'll Stand By You to #16. In the hands of the Supreme Miss American Idol from Season Four, Carrie Underwood, it skyrocketted all the way to #6 after she performed it on Idol Gives Back. It is truly worth a second listen, so we were fortunate that she is here again tonight. In addition to her amazing singing, the one and only legendary music producer Clive Davis awarded Carrie with the certification that her debut album, Some Hearts, has achieved sales of over 6 million. In what must have been an effort to illustrate the difference between the truly amazing and the hideously awful, Carrie was followed by the Season Six Miss American Idol train wreck Sanjaya butchering the Kinks' You Really Got Me. Hopefully it is perfectly clear now: She is talented and he is not.

Green Day took advantage of the huge American Idol audience to sing their new song and then another artist who can benefit from a huge audience made a grand entrance. The feel-good, catchy bass-line of Heaven Knows filled the theater as Season Five Miss American Idol, Taylor Hicks, reminded the crowd of what made millions of people vote for him last year. The energetic, bluesy dance moves and gray hair is all still there just like you remember - SOUL PATROL!!! I've been listening to his album in heavy rotation and it's quite good. Give it a chance. Take note of track 6 - Give Me Tonight - it's hot! (Heaven Knows is track 3)

Season Two Miss American Idol, Ruben Studdard, then made a surprise appearance to sing a duet along with Jordin Sparks. In 1968 Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell took You're All I Need To Get By to the top 10. This was a perfect choice to blend these two soulful voices. From one surprise to another, Legendary Diva, Bette Midler appeared to sing her #1 hit from 1989, the Grammy winning Record of the Year, Wind Beneath My Wings.

Surprises abound! Kelly Clarkson twice in one night! She walked her chubby self out on stage to start a tribute to the Beatles' Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band with the title track. Taylor Hicks performed a rousing version of A Day In The Life, a glamorous Carrie Underwood interpretted She's Leaving Home, Ruben Studdard sang Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds and then the Season Six top 12 finalists gathered for With A Little Help From My Friends. The whole family was here except for Fantasia! She must be performing in the Color Purple tonight in New York.

It's already been over two hours and we are finally getting the results of over 74 million votes. Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis are nervously standing center stage........The newest Miss American Idol is ...... JORDIN SPARKS!!!!!! Dressed in her elegant evening gown, overwhelmed with gratitude and appreciation, she took the microphone and sang This Is My Now. She belted out the big notes and the glitter started to fall around her.

An amazing line-up of musical talent capped by the crowning of the newest teen queen. What a great evening of entertainment! In just a few weeks we'll see if Jordin Sparks can continue the streak of American Idols releasing a #1 hit single.....