American Idol

David Cook and David Archuleta stand on either side of host Ryan Seacrest during Tuesday night’s finale performance show.

After a red carpet arrival event that welcomed several past winners and even more contestants — even celebrities including Teri Hatcher and Janice Dickenson — it’s time to crown a winner. American Idol Season 7 is coming to a close, and David Cook or David Archuleta will be crowned the winner.

On the red carpet, Simon Cowell took back his comments about it being a knockout and Archuleta being a sure winner. He said, after watching at home, he saw how well Cook held up in the contest. Now, it’s time for a two-hour finale packed with performances and, of course, the winner.

Last night, there were 97.5 million votes cast. And the split is 56 percent to 44 percent, Ryan Seacrest announces. So it’s a fairly close one. Now, let’s get down to it.

I have to say I am a little surprised Idol would have these two finalists pair up for Hero. It was a slightly off duet — a song way more fit for Cook than Archuleta. At least it wasn’t as awkward as the shameless plug for The Love Guru.

Syesha and Seal? Um, that’s a bit of a bizarre pairing, too.

At least Jason Castro chose to sing Hallelujah. And other song from him may have been a waste of time. This certainly was a highlight for him this season, and I’m pretty certain it’s safe to say he’ll be singing that tune on the summer tour.

OK, so now it’s like Oprah. And you get a car! And you get a car! Sorry, I couldn’t resist. I love that Ford is giving the Top 2 finalists each a Hybrid Escape. And what’s up with David Cook acting shocked? Has he not watched this show in the past?

Now, it’s on to the Top 6 women performing a group number. Could Amanda Overmyer look any more unimpressed? I think the answer is no. She needs to show some appreciation or Donna Summers — she looks a little rough and confused — may just slap her across the face.

Wait a second. Ryan Seacrest is dancing. Is he drunk? I’m so confused right now …

After the break, we’re back to this season’s finalists. Paired up this time are Carly Smithson and Michael Johns, two contestants Seacrest says were voted off earlier than they should have been. I suddenly feel we’re all seeing a televised preview of the summer tour. While I like many of this year’s top contenders, I would not want to see that kind of performance at a live concert.

Now it’s time for the Top 6 guys, and it’s really about to get cheese-tastic up in here. A group performance of Summer of ‘69 is about as ridiculous as you could go. Of course, when the Davids — not Hernandez, but the others — take the stage, it completely turns everything around. Suddenly, when placed on a stage with the other men in the competition, it becomes even more clear the best two guys made it to the end.

And, since this is American Idol, why wouldn’t we bring out a Canadian? Welcome Summer of ‘69’s very own Bryan Adams, who also is at the finale tonight to promote his new CD.

Right now David Cook seems to be having the time of his life. And why wouldn’t he be? He’s sharing the stage with ZZ Top to perform Sharp Dressed Man, a song I’m sure he’s performed a time or two before. I have to say, I think Idol really has come a long way in giving contestants the opportunity to jam with seasoned artists during the finale. This has to make the experience that much bigger for guys like David Cook.

Next up is Brooke White, sharing the stage with Graham Nash. This actually is one of the cooler performances of the night. Brooke’s sharing a bit of a country/bluesy feel. And it certainly works well for her. She seems in the zone. I’m willing to bet she thinks this is a pretty cool experience. It’s amazing how much more relaxed she seems right now, in front of the largest audiences she’s played to this season.

I should have called that our favorite worst singer of the season would be making an on-stage appearance tonight. Why? Because he is our brother … our best friend forever. Wow. That outfit still is incredible.

David Archuleta’s celebrity duet is with One Republic on the hit song Apologize. I have to say little David sure does shine vocally on this track. And I didn’t see that coming. This just goes down as further evidence that this 17-year-old has some pipes.

After some recent vocal trouble, the reining Idol winner, Jordin Sparks, has rebounded nicely. Singing a track from her debut, Jordin seems more confident today than she did a year ago, wearing a different kind of gold dress. Still, seems to be holding back a little bit vocally. One Step at a Time on the CD has a lot more range than Jordin’s performance tonight. You still gotta love her, though.

There’s really no question about it. Carrie Underwood, the Season 4 winner, is about to deliver the biggest performance of the night. A well-established, award-winning artist, Underwood has made a big, big name for herself in the music industry. And, yes, it turns out her performance tonight is the best. When you have it, you have it. And Carrie Underwood, my friends, has it.

Before we get to the big announcement — when the sparks fly and confetti falls — the Top 12 finalists take the stage once, again. This time they’re singing some George Michael songs. The highlights? Carly Smithson and the Davids — all three of them, actually. Mostly it’s all about Carly, though. She certainly should take this act on the road (beyond the summer tour, even). I have to say, as a whole, this is one of the least offensive group performances of this season or any, for that matter. Still, group numbers are a downfall, if you ask me.

Now, it’s time for the one and only George Michael to take the stage. This is a big bonus for Idol. Sure they’ve had a lot of celebrities, but there’s something a little ultra cool about this one.

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OK, the time has come. With just a few minutes left, it’s time for one of the Davids — Cook or Archuleta — to take the Idol crown from reigning winner Jordin Sparks.

Final thoughts from the judges:

“I’m honored and proud to be sitting here,” Paula said.

“I want to congratulate both of you last night,” Simon said. “… It wasn’t quite so clear cut as we called it. … For the first time ever, I don’t really care who wins. You’re both terrific.”

So, let’s do this. And the winner is … “The winner, by 12 million votes, of American Idol 2008 is … David Cook,” Ryan announces.

This is exactly how this should have gone down. And David Cook is incredibly emotional. Celebrities in the crowd are cheering, and he’s tearing up.

“Thank you guys,” Cook said. “This is amazing. Thank you.”

American Idol, David Cook, David Archuleta