Welcome to younghollywood. com. What's up, Young Hollywood? I'm Tatiana Diana. Join us as we prepare to hit the road with Lee and Crystal from American Idol.

We've got The American Idol, Lee DeWyze. I bet you did not think that when you accompanied your friend to the American Idol tryouts that you'd be sitting here today as the winner.

Uh, no, I didn't actually. Um, I think, you know, everyone mainly tries out with the thought of how far you can get. You know, you want to know if I do this, I wonder at what point, you know, I'll be eliminated. You know, cuz that's I mean, you don't really think of you have when you're in line, "Oh, I'm going to win this. I got this." So.

Take me to that night when you heard your name get announced as American Idol. What what were you thinking as that was coming out?

Weight lifted off my shoulders and just like

You're like, "I'm done. I'm free."

Yeah. Exactly. To know that that's what you spent all your time working for. You know, that's why I'm here. That's why I was doing all this just so I could make an album and go on tour and do all these things. And now, to hear you know, your name called was almost like it was worth it. You know, it was just like, "Saying ready, make your album now." There's still a lot to do, you know? I mean, I think people think when you win Idol that it's like, "Hey man, you got it made now." And for me it's not like that. It's like, "Hey, now you get an opportunity." For me, this is just like a beginning.

Can you tell us a little bit about the tour? I think we're all looking forward to the tour.

You know, it's an opportunity for us to all be in a close situation where we're all performing and doing our thing, but it's not a competitive, you know, atmosphere. It's very relaxed, and it's very, you know, just fun. It's going to be kind of crazy. I mean, I know for a fact that it's going to be crazy. You know, they're they're a wacky bunch of people, myself included. To see the fans that supported us and voted for us and all that kind of stuff's going to be great, too. And uh, you know, if it wasn't for them, we obviously wouldn't be where we were at. So,

Is this your first time obviously on tour? What are you what are you anticipating?

Um, a lot of music. A lot of rocking, you know. Um, it's going to be it's going to be great experience for us. You know, in in in the future in our own careers and things, we'll we'll get a little taste of what it's like to to live life on the road and, you know, just going to have a good time. Top 10 all back together, and girls' bus is going to win uh against the boys' bus.

Oh, boys' and girls' bus challenges?

Yes, uh possibly water balloons going down the highway.

So now that you guys are kind of past everything, is it just big happy family and

Yeah, I mean it's kind of it was that way on the show, too. Clearly now we're not competing against each other and it it changes the dynamic a little bit, but

A lot less pressure.

Yeah, there's less pressure, and everyone just really wants to do well on tour. Everybody gets their own set and uh, you know, we're just going to party all summer and have have fun on the road and um, it's just it's really going to be a good time. Family together and and stuff.

Are you going to miss your son?

Definitely. He's he can't come on tour, so uh, I'm going to miss the bejesus out of him.

Where was your son during the whole process? Was he just watching every episode and just

He he was backstage for a lot of them and uh, my ex Tony was taking care of him and uh, you know, he was always when he see see me on TV, he'd be like, "Mama, mama!"

Oh, that was surreal for him.

Yeah, yeah. So, who have been your musical influences? I love Ray LaMontagne. I like Michael Franti & Spearhead. Uh, the message that he's putting out is really great. Um, I'm a lyricist, so lyrics are really important to me. I love Melissa Etheridge, I love um uh, Bonnie Raitt, you know, Aretha Franklin, and old-school soul and funk and um, and some hip-hop stuff and yeah, you know, it's really across the board.

Hey Young Hollywood, thanks for hanging out with us backstage. See ya in a bit.