So did I. At 16, she was probably a little too green to win AI, but I always liked her better than Fantasia. Now more polished at the ripe old age of 18, Diana has gotten a really big break recently:
'American Idol 3' runner-up Diana DeGarmo lands 'Brooklyn' leadUPI News Service, 01/07/2006
"American Idol" runner-up Diana DeGarmo has been cast in the lead for the U.S. tour of the Broadway pop musical "Brooklyn."
Tony Award winner Melba Moore will star as the 18-year-old's nemesis, Playbill.com reported Saturday.
Broadway director Jeff Calhoun will again helm the cast, which also includes Tony-winner Cleavant Derricks re-creating his Broadway role.
"Diana came in and auditioned for us, and she blew us away," Calhoun told Playbill.com. "Brooklyn is an 18-year-old pop star, and that's what (Diana) is. You're not going to do better than that."
The tour is scheduled to kick off in June in Hartford, Conn., with other dates yet to be announced.
The Broadway production of "Brooklyn" closed on June 25, 2005.
Moore won her Tony for her work in the musical "Purlie" while Derricks got his for "Dreamgirls."
Diana has a huge, beautiful, strong voice. With the seasoning and mentoring she'll get on this tour from a Broadway director and a Tony-winning star like Melba Moore, Diana may very well be on her way to Broadway stardom.
Fantasia who?????