By Alabama Public Radio
Helena, AL – The winner of the American Idol talent contest will be announced Wednesday night. Alabama singer Bo Bice squared off with Oklahoma native Carrie Underwood Tuesday night in the finals. The Helena native wore a flowing white shirt, red sunglasses and his trademark shoulder-length hair and sang an original song called "The Long Long Road." Judge Simon Cowell called it a very dreary song and said Bice looked like his chemistry teacher. But the 29-year-old rebounded with a more rousing Chicago number. He sang "Inside Your Heaven," which Underwood had actually performed only minutes earlier. Cowell then said he thought Bice outsang his 22-year-old rival.