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(9/5/02, 3 p.m. ET) -- Kelly Clarkson was named the first winner of American Idol: The Search For A Superstar on Wednesday night (September 4) in Los Angeles. An estimated 15.5 million votes were cast after the contest's final Tuesday night (September 3) showdown, giving the Burleson, Texas, native the edge over curly-locked Philadelphia-area hopeful Justin Guarini. Clarkson garnered 58 percent of the votes. She also impressed the panel of judges, which included former pop star Paula Abdul.
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Clarkson won a $1 million recording contract from the contest. Her first single, "A Moment Like This," will be released on September 17. Her full-length CD will be in stores in November.
American Idol was also the ratings story of the summer. Tuesday's show attracted some 18.2 million viewers, and some expected the audience for Wednesday's finale to exceed that number. In addition, more than 100 million calls were logged throughout the duration of Tuesday's show.
-- Sofia Fernandez, Los Angeles (news from Yahoo News, Launch)
