17 year old Jordin Sparks is youngest American Idol winner
Jordin Sparks grew up on American Idol, watching the television singing competition since she was 12 years old and telling her mother it was what she wanted to do. "Now I‘m actually doing it," the 17-year-old told reporters backstage after winning in Wednesday's season finale. The announcement that the Arizona teenager bested Blake Lewis, 25, the beat-boxer from Washington, came at the end of a two-hour extravaganza at the Kodak Theatre. "I've just been trying to top myself each week," Sparks said. "I would sing my song and after I was done I was like, ‘OK, what am I going to do next week that's going to be ... either just as good or better.'" Sparks, with a floor-length gown and movie-star hair, gushed like a teenager when her name was called. "Thank you so much for everything," she told the crowd. "Mom, Dad, I love you. Nana, Papa, P.J., thank you guys." Then she began This Is My Now, the tune picked by viewers in a ne...