Poppe is next ‘American Idol’

Young Clarksville woman captures title in ABC TV’s singing competition

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

Maddie Poppe received a boost to possible superstardom Monday night, winning the “American Idol” television singing competition.

The 20-year-old Poppe, from Clarksville, bested two other finalists in a public online, phone app and text vote that ran from the final competition night Sunday through the start of the finale broadcast Monday. More than 200,000 people had originally auditioned for the show.

During the first hour of the two-hour show Monday that was filled with celebrity singing guests, contestant Gabby Barrett, 18, of Pittsburgh was eliminated from the final three, leaving just Poppe and Caleb Lee Hutchinson, 19, of Dallas, Georgia,  vying for the “Idol” crown on the rebooted ABC show.

Host Ryan Seacrest said the final two had won a vacation to Hawaii after Hutchinson announced that the two of them were dating.

Poppe wins a recording contract with Hollywood Records as well as the chance to sing at the Hollywood Bowl and at The Radio Disney Music Awards.

The top seven finishers this year will go on a 40-city tour from July through September. No Iowa concerts are listed on the schedule, but the tour will stop in Minneapolis on Sept. 5. Special guest on the tour will be Season 8 “American Idol” winner Kris Allen.

“American Idol,” which ran on the FOX network from 2002 to 2016, made its ABC debut in March with three new judges: Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. Seacrest returned as the master of ceremonies.