A mom of three who auditioned for "American Idol" with a song about postpartum depression and motherhood was named the show's newest champion.
Hannah Harper, of Willow Springs, Missouri, won the season after overcoming runner-up Jordan McCullough and third-place finisher Keyla Richardson.
"I can't believe this is real life," Harper said in a special message for "Good Morning America" after her victory.
The 25-year-old, who started singing at age 9, got an early lead in the competition with the song she wrote about motherhood, "String Cheese," which quickly went viral.
"Some days I wanna cry, run away and hide, But I'd worry about their еvery need. And when I'm ovеrwhelmеd and touched out, thеy come climbin' up on the couch, sayin', 'Mama, can you open my string cheese?,'" the song's lyrics read.
Harper sang the song during her audition, which captured both the judges' and the audience's attention from the start.
"We encourage that. There's no such thing as 'too hot,'" "American Idol" judge Lionel Richie said in a interview on "GMA" about Harper's fast start on the show. "What you want to do is get our attention as fast as you can ... You've got one time around each time to make it work, so when they walk out and have that much fire going, bring it on."
Richie's fellow judge, "American Idol" season 4 winner Carrie Underwood, said in the same interview that she saw some of her own experience in Harper's journey.
"I told Hannah Harper that she reminded me of me and she's got her own style going on, I didn't mean it in a vocal way at all, but just in that you're living your normal life and now you're on stage," Underwood said on "GMA."
During the season finale, Harper thanked her husband for taking care of their three sons while she competed on the show.
The finale included special appearances by music stars, including Alicia Keys, Raye, Lee Ann Womack, Mötley Crüe and En Vogue.
Go to Hannah Harper's website at https://www.hannahharpermusic.com
THANKS FOR THE MUSIC HANNAH!
