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Taylor Hicks has been crowned the new American Idol.

Asked if he had anything to say to America, Hicks gave a shout-out to his most dedicated fans, yelling “Soul Patrol!”

Runner-up Katharine McPhee embraced Hicks and

thanked her fans for an Idol experience she called “a dream come true.” Then Hicks launched into his first single, “Do I Make You Proud?”

Announcing the results, Ryan Seacrest noted that “an astounding 63.4 million votes” were cast, “more than any President in this country has ever received.”

After his win, Hicks told FOX news reporters, “It’s an exhilarating feeling. I am flabbergasted. I can’t believe I’m the next American Idol.” He admitted that when his name was called he had to tell himself, “Don’t just fall to the floor. Don’t let your knees buckle.”

The two-hour finale episode, which Seacrest said was being watched by 200 million people around the world, kicked off with Hicks, McPhee and the 10 booted finalists belting Barry Manilow’s “I Made It Through the Rain.”

Source: People

Tags: Taylor Hicks, American Idol