THE "AMERICAN IDOL" COMPETITION IS NOW A FOREGONE CONCLUSION

Watching the "American Idol" final last evening, it was clear to everyone --- even tart British judge Simon Cowell --- that grey-haired soul brother Taylor Hicks won this season's competition hands-down. I notice that the "AI" watchers at CNN and MSNBC agree as well, and that the Web site www.dialidol.com, which has picked winners 86% of the time through 22 eliminations, is on the same boat.

Don't get me wrong: Both Hicks and Katherine McPhee are excellent singers, and I am certain that both will see plenty of future success. But song selection was certainly important last night.

Katherine started on a strong note with "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree", but singing the Judy Garland classic "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" was not likely a great choice, especially since she did it just last week. You know, familiarity and all... Then, she performed the song written to be her debut single, "My Destiny". Even judge Randy Jackson thought the song was bad, although McPhee did as much as possible with what she had to work with.

Hicks began with his rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Livin' For The City" wearing a purple jacket which MSNBC commentator Craig Berman said "even Liberace wouldn't have been caught dead in." Kinda odd watching Taylor doing that tune, but he has a way of making almost any song his. The only time he seemed weak was doing Elton John's classic "Levon", when he started weak but came back strong near the song's climax. His strongest performance was when he sung the tune selected as his debut single, "Do I Make You Proud". Not a great song, but Taylor can sell a song like few people can.

That performance should have wrapped the title up for Taylor Hicks, a fellow who in previous years would not have been eligible because of age limitations raised just this season. And it was reminded to us that when Taylor auditioned for the show in Las Vegas, Simon Cowell actually voted against giving the invite to Hollywood...only to be outvoted by his two judging collegues.

Friends, destiny works in strange ways sometimes...