The suspense is over: Taylor Hicks is the new American Idol.

Taylor Hicks and Katherine McPhee

Alabama native Hicks and LA chanteuse Katherine McPhee were the two finalists going into last night's star-studded finale, broadcast from the Kodak Theater in Hollywood.

The episode featured performances from former Idol winners Carrie Underwood and Clay Aiken, as well as pop stars Prince, Mary J. Blige, and Toni Braxton. Adding to the glamour was an appearance by special guest audience member David Hasselhoff.

Idol host Ryan Seacrest said 63 million votes were cast in the final round. Hicks was long the favorite, despite his gray hair completely negating any youthful edge. Simon Cowell pegged Hicks as the winner in a Monday, May 22, appearance on The Tonight Show.

"I'm going to say he's the favorite, but what do I know?" Cowell told host Jay Leno.

After he won, Hicks told reporters, "I didn't have any idea that Americans would embrace gray hair as much as they have."

Runner-up McPhee put on a brave face, saying, "It wasn't about winning the title, I just wanted to give the best performance I could."

Idol enjoyed the best ratings of its five-season life, watched by an average of 30 million people each week. It is the number one show of the TV season, outdistancing CSI and Desperate Housewives. In last night's broadcast, it went up against ABC's Lost season finale in the 9 p.m. time slot and more than doubled that show's ratings.