Scotty McCreery Wins American Idol | Eastern North Carolina Now

     Scotty McCreery, 17, of Garner, North Carolina, has won the 10th annual American Idol contest over Lauren Alaina, 16, from Rossville, Georgia. Scotty is the youngest winner in the history of the popular singing competition, where the fate of the last 12 finalists is determined by the voting pattern of the worldwide fans of the show - lowest vote-getter leaves each week.

     On May 25, 2011, Lauren Alaina found out that she had the lower vote total in the last week, the final show of the 10th season. Once the vote total was related to the remaining two contestants, with Scotty winning, the young man began hugging folks on stage, beginning with his co-contestant, and then finishing with the rest of the top 12 that will be part of the American Idol touring family on their Summer concert series. The capacity crowd in the RBC Center, adjacent to NC State's Carter-Finley Stadium on Interstate 40 West in Raleigh, NC, whose attention was centered on the jumbotrons in the arena, erupted into a loud celebratory applause. The hometown boy did good, and consequently, these fans of the Wake County native had their moment to share in the young man's victory.

     Young Scotty McCreery may not be the most talented contestant in this competition, but few will argue that he was not, however, the most popular. With his deep resonating voice, clean-cut persona, and his obvious predilection for the often mournful strains of country music, Scotty McCreery found a niche with his growing fan base, and eventually rode this swelling and irrepressible tide to complete victory, which culminated in last night's finale. Georgian Lauren Alaina, who was equally as talented as Scotty, also had a country music flavor to her singing style; however, she was just a bit short of the votes needed to win the number one spot.

     With the level of talent that was displayed this season at an all-time high, the concert series should be a tremendous success not only for young McCreery, but for the other final-twelve contestants as well. American Idol has ignited huge careers for other American Idol contestants, most notably Rocker Chris Daughtry from Roanoke Rapids and McCleansville, North Carolina, and Raleigh native Clay Aiken, who is enjoying a fine career on Broadway after a short recording career.

     In terms of where the most successful contestants have enjoyed the benefits of American Idol, there definitely is a regional flavor to the names that have been in, or close to, the finals. Outside the two aforementioned North Carolinians who were close to winning, two of the ten winners of American Idol are from North Carolina: Scotty McCreery and Fantasia Barrino, who won the 3rd season and hails from Winston Salem. Of the remaining eight winners, six are from the south, with two winners from Alabama: Rueben Studdard and Taylor (Soul Patrol) Hicks.

     Whether it is their personable nature, or pure talent, Southerners have found success in the rigors of the American Idol starmaking process, remarkably one of the most popular television shows in the history of the small screen. It is a formula that works and Southerners know how to punch that ticket - even the show's host, Ryan Seacrest, is originally from Atlanta, Georgia.

     Scotty McCreery, from Garner, NC, is the latest Southerner to take firm advantage of the show's proven rewards. Who will be next? There is always next year.