LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Gray-haired soul singer Taylor Hicks won the 2006 "American Idol" contest on Wednesday, capturing the hearts and votes of millions of viewers in the fifth edition of America's top-rated TV show.
Hicks, 29, who was told in auditions that he was too gray to be a pop star, beat balladeer Katharine McPhee in the climax of a nationwide contest that attracted tens of thousands of wannabe performers.
"Thank you America! I'm living the American Dream," screamed Hicks at the end of the show.
The winner was announced at the end of a star-studded finale at Hollywood's Kodak Theater featuring performances by Prince, Dionne Warwick, Mary J. Blige, Burt Bacharach, Toni Braxton and Meat Loaf.
Alabama native Hicks, beloved for his manic dancing, is the oldest "American Idol" winner in the reality TV series that has become a ratings juggernaut attracting some 30 million viewers a week since January.
Once derided as a cheesy talent show, "Idol" has steadily gained credibility in the industry, turning out a Grammy winning performer in Kelly Clarkson while past winners and runners-up have sold more than 33 million records.
At the Country Music Awards on Tuesday, former "American Idol" champ Carrie Underwood was named top new female vocalist, and also won the single record of the year honor for "Jesus Take the Wheel."
The fifth season of "American Idol" saw the wannabe stars collaborating with icons like Stevie Wonder and Rod Stewart while Prince gave a surprise performance.
Harmonica playing Hicks, who spent years singing in local nightclubs, wins a coveted recording contract and will release his first single in the next few days.
"I didn't have any idea that Americans would embrace gray hair as much as they have," Hicks said backstage, thanking his fans. He said he planned to make "an album with soul. It's going to have a lot of feeling."
McPhee, 22, a sultry Los Angeles musical theater performer, was deemed by the three-person judging panel to have one of the best vocal talents in "American Idol" history.
But viewers chose the charismatic Hicks, whose fans call themselves the "Soul Patrol." Program officials said more than 63 million votes were sent in by phone or text but they did not give a breakdown.
Backstage McPhee said she had not expected to win but would be releasing a single anyway. "I don't need sad faces or anyone to feel bad for me. I have got a record deal, pretty much. It wasn't about winning the title, I just wanted to give the best performance I could," she said.
With a style that mixes Joe Cocker with Ray Charles, Hicks was a consistent favorite with viewers despite some acerbic comments from judge Simon Cowell, who said one of his performances was like "a drunken father singing at a wedding."
The fifth season of "American Idol" proved the most successful ever, forcing rival TV networks to reschedule their programs to avoid competition. The show returns for a sixth series in January.
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