After a 10-month journey that took him from busking the streets of Nashville to the stage of “American Idol,” Clark Beckham lost the title to Connecticut pop singer Nick Fradiani on Wednesday.
In a departure from previous years, host Ryan Seacrest did not reveal how close the vote may have been, but as of Wednesday morning online polls showed a difference of three to four percentage points.
Beckham was the Southeast Tennessee hometown favorite because of his strong local ties. He graduated with a degree in history from Lee University a year ago. After enrolling in Lee, he attended Redemption Pointe church on Bailey Avenue in Chattanooga, where he sang in the choir and was on the church praise team.
Beckham has credited Lee with preparing him musically for the national stage, and he again recognized his alma mater on air Wednesday night. The two finalists honored their most influential teacher with tickets to the “Idol” finale. Beckham brought Jim Phillips, director of Lee’s campus choir, to Los Angeles where Phillips was presented keys to a new Ford Focus.
Clark Beckham, left, and Michael McDonald perform at the American Idol XIV finale at the Dolby Theatre on Wednesday, May 13, 2015, in Los Angeles. As the winner, Fradiani will sign a record deal today with Big Machine Record Label in Nashville. But even as runner-up, the national audience Beckham built over four months of weekly “American Idol” episodes has made him a household name with a ready-made fan base that virtually ensures a record deal of his own.