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A teenager from Murray High School won Americans over as a finalist of American Idol. Seventeen-year-old David Archuleta was picked as one of the 24 finalists on seventh season of American Idol. Week after week his solid voice made him a crowd favorite, and Utahns couldn't get enough of him.
During the show, Archuleta made a trip back home to Utah. One excited fan said, "Well he has a great voice, he's very funny and shy, and he's really cute."
Another fan said, "He's fantastic. She wants me to say that he's hot, she wants me to say that he's cute. I love the pure singing talent."
While here, Archuleta said, "I can't believe it. I cannot believe this many people came. I didn't think this many people would show. Oh my gosh."
After a stop at The Gateway, Archuleta performed at his stomping grounds, Murray High School. The mayor of Murray gave him a day in his honor, a street was named after him, and he sang the national anthem at a Jazz-Lakers game.
Then it was back to business, back on stage for the season finale. Thousands of fans gathered at the Energy Solutions Arena to watch the finale live. Family members were also there. His grandfather James Archuleta said, "David probably has achieved the goal he set when he was a young boy - to be able to reach many people with his music."
There were 97.5 million votes cast that night across the country -- an American Idol record -- but it wasn't enough for the hometown hero. He lost.
One fan told us, "I'm kind of disappointed because I was going to marry David Archuleta.
Another fan, Cheyenne Marquez, said, "I really don't think that David Cook deserved it. I think David Archuleta deserved it so much more! He's come so far!"
Fans who invested time and energy into Archuleta were crushed. "His voice and his smile, it just brightens up my day and it makes every bad day turn good," Marquez said.
A professor at BYU calls it a para-social relationship. Professor Steve Thomas said, "They've seen them in a variety of different situation, circumstances, they've learned about them, they've come to know them. It's much like developing a normal relationship. The primary difference, however, is that the relationship is only one way."
Thomas adds most fans have probably already moved on and now will anxiously await season eight, to see who their next American Idol will be.
Since the competition, David Archuleta has released a self-titled album, with the lead single "Crush."
E-mail: abutterfield@ksl.com
