Lee DeWyze – An American Dream Come True

You always hear of these dream come true stories that happened in the U.S., but rarely get to see who it happened to or what type of person wreaked the benefits. American Idol is one of those reality shows that allow people to come out of nowhere and conquer their dreams. That is precisely what season 9 winner Lee DeWyze did in front of millions of viewers.

Coming from a city that is not terribly small but not large by any means, DeWyze resides from Mount Prospect, Illinois. The community holds just under 60,000 people and probably did not realize a rising star was amidst the town. Not until the middle of season 9 on American Idol anyway.

From the start, it was obvious that DeWyze had skills and belonged in the competition. What was not obvious was that he would prevail and take the crown by the end. However, week after week people continued to vote him back. While he did not stand out from the rest of the competitors early on, it was his personality and connection with audiences that made him so likeable.

In the first half of the competition, he was rather shy and was often noted for his lack of smiling. The judges were constantly on him to show some enthusiasm and have a good time on the stage. What people slowly but surely began to learn was what type of a guy DeWyze really was.

While living in Mount Prospect, he was nothing more than a paint store clerk trying to make a living. It’s not exactly the most impressive job in the world, but that’s what makes the story so great. This is someone that came from a blue-collar job and was trying to make an honest living that prevailed and beat all of the odds to win one of the top reality competitions in the world.

What makes him so special is how easy going and warm-hearted he is. Even the rather stingy judge Simon Cowell said in the final weeks that DeWyze was an incredible person that showed a lot of character and deserved to succeed in life. As for DeWyze himself, he has long said he just wants to make a connection with audiences in the sense that any song he performs will remind people of a specific moment in their life, not his.

So while the so-called underdog came out of nowhere to win season 9 of American Idol, it really is not too much of a surprise considering the type of person he is and the obvious skills he possesses. At the end of the day, it’s another feel-good story about someone who came from little and made all of their dreams come true in the great country of America.