Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
(AP Photo/FOX, Frank Micelotta)
Sarah Dallof reporting
It's the duel of the Davids. Tonight a new "American Idol" will be crowned, either Missouri's David Cook or Utah's David Archuleta.
But whether Archuleta wins or loses, does he have a future in the music business?
He easily won over thousands of screaming and crying fans at Murray High. But will David Archuleta win "American Idol?" An E! Online poll says no. The poll has David Cook winning by a large margin.
However, David Archuleta is ahead in Sin City. Oddsmakers at the Wynn Las Vegas Resort are giving him a slight edge over David Cook.
But what happens when the competition ends? Jon Carter, a morning personality with 103.5 The Arrow radio station, says, "Both David Archuleta and David Cook will get record labels."
Radio morning personalities Carter and Bret Connor watched this season closely. Music choices like Elton John and the Beetles play well with their listeners.
They believe David Archuleta's career will be made or broken after the finale. Connor said, "The test is his own songs, really it is. That's where his breakout is going to be."
Bill West, FM 100 program director and afternoon announcer, believes Archuleta will play easily in his home state, but to win over the rest of the country he needs to fine tune his style and appeal. He has this advice for Archuleta, "Listen to what your handlers are telling you. Pay attention to them. Clive Davis has been growing talent for the last 40 years .. 50 years."
West points to the success of former Idol contestant Chris Daughtry. Daughtry didn't win the competition, but his listener-friendly hits like "Feels Like Tonight" and "Home" earned him a music career long after his season's end.
West said, "Daughtry crosses pop, rock and adult contemporary radio, so there's a wide range or styles available."
Working in Archuleta's favor is his age. He's just 17, so he has the time to figure out who he is as a person and as a performer.
E-mail: sdallof@ksl.com
