Thus ended a season that had more than its fair share of controversy and had Barrino close to elimination a couple of times. When it came down to the final vote, a reported 65 million American fans picked their favorite and Barrino�s gravely like, yet smooth voice won over. During the competition, Barrino was one of the few contestants to really take chances and try to adopt other styles, that was showcased during the season and the finale with a standout performance of the ballad �Summertime�. At other times, she played it safe and took viewers to church with lively gospel deliveries, such as she did with the Tamyra Gray penned American Idol single �I Believe�.  

Now that she has won, she will have a chance to make her mark on record through RCA. Hopefully, for Barrino she will be afforded the chance to take chances and not be forced to go with the middle of the road pop that has plagued the past �Idol� record releases.  

What about DeGarmo?  It�s a pretty safe bet that she too will be given the chance at a recording career. Last year�s finalist Clay Aiken was given a contract and has meet with much chart success for his debut album. However, season one runner up Justin Guarini, didn�t make his mark. His self-titled debut album only sold 134,000 copies, which prompted RCA to drop him from their roster. 

Fans of this season will have another chance to catch their favorite contestants this summer when the Top 12 head out on a North American tour. The tour kicks off on July 14th in Salt Lake City. 
 

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