On Wednesday night, Jordin Sparks, who is just three years removed from winning the Spotlight Overall title at the GMA Academy in D.C. event, was crowned this year’s “American Idol” in front of a live audience of 4,000 in the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles, and the over 30 million people who were watching on FOX/CTV.

A record 74 million votes were cast to determine Sparks as the winner over Blake Lewis. And in a storybook ending that could only be appreciated by those involved in the Christian/gospel music community, Sparks, a 17-year-old from Glendale, AZ, capped the evening by performing This Is My Now, the winning song in the “American Idol” songwriter competition, which was co-written by veteran Christian artist/songwriter Scott Krippayne.

The GMA has followed Sparks’ journey, along with several other contestants, during an “American Idol” season that seemed to be filled with Christian/gospel music connections. Besides winning at GMA Academy in D.C. in 2004, Sparks also competed at GMA Music in the Rockies that summer where she placed second in the Southern Gospel vocal category. She also befriended Michael W. Smith and family and traveled as a singer with his Christmastime tour. When she became a finalist for “American Idol”, she included her GMA Academy win as one of her proudest moments in her life.

Sparks was not alone among the Top 10 “American Idol” finalists with such ties to he GMA. Chris Sligh also competed at GMA Music in the Rockies, placing first in the Pop-Adult Contemporary/Inspirational song category in 2003. He also served as the worship pastor at his South Carolina church, the same position held by Phil Stacey at his church in Jacksonville, Fla. There also was Melinda Doolittle, from Brentwood, TN, a long-time background vocalist for many Christian/gospel artists, never betraying her own powerful vocal skills. Even LaKisha Jones, while having no “professional” ties to Christian/gospel music, often declared her love for it and the influence it had on her life.

So, while only Sparks won the title of “American Idol”, all five of the finalists that GMA followed throughout the competition returned for Wednesday’s finale, all five will participate on the “American Idol” tour this summer and all will most likely be offered the opportunity to record their own projects. As the winner, Sparks is already confirmed to sign a recording contract with Sony/BMG.

In addition to Krippayne’s song, which he wrote with his pastor and friend Jeff Peabody, Wednesday’s finale featured an on-stage reunion of BeBe and CeCe Winans, who joined Doolittle, one of their former back-up singers, for an electrifying performance of Hold Up The Light. The finale also served as a reunion of sorts for previous seasons’ winners and finalists with Mandisa and George Huff among the many in attendance.

- Article courtesy of Mark Ross/GMAil -