Great kid and great future. Love him being so level headed. With such passion for music and a noble ambition to be a doctor (so he can help people), David Archuleta, I salute you. May God bless you in abundance!

Young David is a one of kind treasure, his voice is so unique & mesmerizing. His extremely youthful appearance is in direct contrast to the mature way he handles himself, always sincere & respectful of others. Yet this beautiful and unassuming 17 yr old young man is very ambitious, driven & inspirational. What a fine example for the youth of America. You can't help but love him.

This guy is a class act. His talent and musical ability are truly amazing. We watched AI faithfully each week just to see him perform. Can't wait for his first CD. We're in Texas, but I think it's plain to see Utah has a new "favorite son."

Yea the kid has a great future in music! But like he said he is only 17. Isn't that the age to be a kid - do what teenagers do. Like dating, worrying about school grades and enjoying summer break and having fun with friends?? What about all that? And is he going re-register and finish high school at Murray High where all the hub bub went on? Cause legally no kid can have that many absenses - unless his parents withdrew his school records out of the school. I think he should just finish high school and graduate turn 18 and then decide. And waht ever he does I hope he and his parents are smart enough not to have one of his parents as a manager or agent!

David A. has had some great opportunities. He is the only 17 year old, that has appeared on A.I, that has been in the finals. Also he has been instructed by the some of the best in the musical world.
I heard him say on television, that he thought of David Cook as an older brother. Congratulations to David A. for all that he has accomplished. Unfortunately, he will never be able to return to the private life that he had prior to being on A.I. Everywhere he goes now, he will be recognized.

Archuleta may have lost the popularity contest, but he certainly won the talent show!

Well, David, the results are in and you have proven to the world what a wonderful young man you are. I am sure you would be the first to admit that you have been deeply blessed with a beautiful talent. You now know that may of us here in Utah are proud of you and supported you with our vote. Now it is time to reflect on such things as writing new songs, getting back to your education, maybe, as you indicated, going on a mission for your church. But what ever you decide know that you have carved a very special place in our hearts. God bless you and your family. Alfie sends.

I do believe David A will have a long singing career. As I have stated before, he will be a legend such as Frank Sinatra. David C is talented but he will wash out when the next rocker comes along with a different twist. You still have
Sinatra fans out there even though Sinatra has been gone for years. That's what David A will have - a long lasting fan base, not just a 6 month or a year flash in the pan career. Keep yourself grounded, David A, stay true to yourself and your faith and you will go far. Best of Luck in your future endevors and I will be first in line to get your cd. Thanks for your great entertainment. I enjoy your songs.

You are a great kid, with great roots and a family that supports you. You are on top of the world with a level head, so your future is bright. Stay close to the Lord, and all will be well. You are a Super Star in more ways than just your wonderful music.

OK, I won't shed any tears...next!

David is just an amazing person. I really cant believe it! He is so mature for his age...(and this is coming from a 13 year old) He is so passionate about the things he does! I LOVE DAVID!!! Hes sooo cooooooool.......

I never had the feeling the two Davids were competing, it just seemed they were both enjoying the ride and pulling for the other. There was such a good feeling the final week. They both did a great job and both deserved to win because neither one of them are losers. Thanks for being such great examples to our youth. If we only had more Davids like them.

Just like the endless mitt Romney stories! How many David A. stories is the DNews going to write? Daily?

Don't cry for me Utah
The truth is I never left you
All through my wild days
My mad existence
I kept my promise
Don't keep your distance

And as for fortune, and as for fame
I never invited them in
Though it seemed to the world they were all I desired

They are illusions
They are not the solutions they promised to be
The answer was here all the time
I love you and hope you love me

Don't cry for me Utah

Very mature, great to have such a young man from Utah in the spot light.

You people should really get a life!

Don't cry for me, Arch-entina.

I didn't know he also plays the piano. If he's good, that' a badge that shows work ethic. It's like long distance running-- mental discipline and perseverance. And good grades. He's got the whole package.

I want to pay tribute to his parents for the fine manner in which they raised this incredible youngman. He is grounded in what matters most, is amazingly humble, and very talented. Thank you Mr. & Mrs. Archuleta for giving the youth of America such an example to emulate.

David, I am a fan for life because of the way you represented yourself, family, and your faith. Keep up the good work and I can't wait to purchase your cds...all of them!

David is such a sweet kid! I can't wait for the tour!

David, we wish you would have won, please hurry back to Murray! kylee

Good Luck David! Way to go to David's Parents for raising a fine son.

this is just the beginning for david A. look forward to watching and reading about his success! he is so very talented. i have enjoyed the ride with him on idol..it was great to have a local boy do so well. we will be watching!!!!!

David A me and my friends wished you could have won so terribly bad but you still did your very best!

David had to attend school three hours a day during American Idol. He didn't miss school. He transferred from Murray to CA and worked with a tutor.

Homeschooling is legal and David's background as a homeschooler is commendable. He went into regular schools after homeschooling and landed on straight A's. You can't do better than that. He'll probably have to go back to homeschooling due to pursuing his music career. You can't take your school with you as you travel, but you can take your tutor.

He's amazing. He wants to continue to get a 4.0 because if music doesn't work out, he wants to become a doctor. All I can say is...AS IF!! Music WILL DEFINITELY work for David! He's incredibly talented, can easily become one of the top music figures of the century because of his exquisite voice and the rare musicality he possesses.

I was rooting for him and voting my fingers off, but in retrospect, I think this result is probably best. Cook is better at the interview circuit and David has time now to learn. He's doing great! I'm proud of him for facing his shyness and speaking out.

David's a wonderful, extraordinary human being!

I predict that David will go the way of William Hung, another American Idol contestant.

I cried soo much after he lost,but then I saw in an interveiw that he got a lot of offers for record deals so I'm really happy about that!!!!!!!!

Loved Archuleta all season long, even with his goof-ups, and voted faithfully for him because his talent is incredible. No worries for this kid: he sings in Spanish, already has a huge fan base in Japan, he got what he needed from Idol - an international stage to showcase his talent. His love of music has already carried him around the world, his future continues to shine brightly. Archuleta handled the final outcome with grace and class, and all his family should be very proud of him.

Archuleta is humble, and that's one thing that's endearing about him. He reminds of me how shy Josh Groban was at the start of his career. Archuleta has a fantastic voice, and I expect him to have a long career in music if he wants to pursue it and takes the right opportunities. The guy who predicts he'll go the way of William Hung must be tone deaf. I agree with many who say tht the title of American Idol can be an albatross, so now he'll be free to go in the avenues he desires. He needs to hire a top-of-the-line agent and consult with real experts, such as David Foster, as he takes the next steps.

for me all of my dear fans."

Give me a break people, he is going to be doing just fine.

David has been homeschooled half his life. That is a testament to anyone who wants a bright, sincere, talented child.

Think about teaching your children at home. It's the bomb!

I agree that David Archuleta is a great young man. But I don't agree that homeschooling is the answer for everything. Home schooling can be the bomb in other ways for many kids who are home schooled and 1)Don't learn to stick with something for more than the minimal 2 hours/day home schooling 2)Don't learn to interact with a diverse poplulation other than their own immediate family 3)Have a mother/father who didn't succeed enough in education to be a good instructor for their own children 4) Expect to control a schooling environment and have problems making non-naive choices after the home schooling experience.

I've seen more home schooled kids who don't fit into social situations such as church, where they won't accept a non-parent in an authority role.

Children need to learn to handle life and home schooling isn't always the answer. It isn't a panacea and children in the public school system are ALSO bright, sincere and talented.

Oh come on William, how can you compare David A. to William Hung? William was a completely non talented joke that somebody hung out to dry. I was so embarrassed for him.

are just as talented as David A. He is NOT the savior for Utah. This is ridiculus. Compliment those in your ward who didn't sell out to be on "American Idol". Good grief. utah pay credit to the locals in your ward and list their names to Deseret News so they can get some coverage.

this kid is so wonderful that he seems unreal.
He is a gem.

I have to admit,I did cry. But this is not the end for him. If he didn't get the title it doesn't matter, he got us all his fans and all of us can't wait for his first CD.
Let's make him #1 on itunes!!!!
We the fans have to show him how much we like him, not just a singer but as a person.

LET'S MAKE HIM #1 ON ITUNES!!!

I have seen interviews of both Davids and they really do like each other a lot. In fact, David Cook told David Archuleta "I love you" as he gave him a hug when his name was announced as the winner. David Archuleta also told David Cook that "you earned all this". Both of them have high opinions of each other. I have no doubt that because David Archuleta is so down to earth and never full of himself that David Cook loved him. David Archuleta just has that personality that makes him so very likeable and on top of that he really is quite a handsome young man. He may not be great at interviews but he really is very funny without trying to be funny. David Cook thinks David A has dry wit and that he really cracks him up. Anyway, the most amazing kid on AI is going to go places. Because he has such passion with his music, he will go far. He wasn't in it to win it but to do his best and to make music which is his biggest dream. Good luck David A. You are the true winner.

I have been accompanying "ward singers" in many places since the age of ten. While I have certainly heard many voices with as much potential as David A., the difference between a talented singer and a famed performer is vast. I doubt that most of the singers in my ward are ready to make the sacrifices that David has made to devote himself to sharing his talent. Going on AI is far from a "sellout". I seriously doubt that David or his fans would call him the "savior" of Utah. That isn't the point.

During a time when the country confused the FLDS in Texas with mainstream "Mormons" David A. and Brooke White showed Americans that "Mormons" don't all wear 19th century clothing and practice polygamy. I'm glad that Brooke and David represented Mormonism in their manners, dress, and demeanor on American Idol.

If branching into the world of fame and best-selling records constitutes "selling out" as a true LDS member, why would the Church establish and maintain the Tabernacle Choir? Music can be a powerful tool for missionary work and I hope David makes the most of it!

Yea for the parents of David Archuleta, home schooling, music training and religious training. Isn't he just what every parent would like his or her child to be. Like most homeschoolers he has had the time to pursue his talent, since as a public school teacher for 7 years I know that school is really mostly a waste of time for very talented children like David A. Our system gobbles up the time of the talented and often results that No Child can get ahead. But most of all, David A. seems to be free of most of the bad stuff that afflicts our youth as they strive for popularity in our vice infected schools (not the fault of the teachers). David A is a credit to his parents, his faith, and homeschoolers everywhere. A high school diploma is no longer respected. He does not have to go that route. He can do so much more and he already has.

American Idol is a pile of excrement. It's just karaoke singing. And it represents everything that is wrong with the music industry, our celebrity-obsessed culture, and the world in general.

Karaoke singers! American Idol is just that. Anyone on show are sell outs! They don't make their own music, David A don't make his own music. He is a copy cat. Did American Idol declare both Mormons on the show Mormons?! What were the other contestants religion. IT DOSEN"T MATTER! They are all sell-outs, Piano Girl is all wrong. Many local singers are more than talented than David A. What ever happened to the guys from Singles Ward? Kirby and Will have more talent in their pinky fingers than David A will ever have! They should have been Utah's Idol.

Whoever wrote this, you shouldn't have made it seem as if KH & WS wrote it. (If it really was KH & WS, I'm really disappointed!)
If you don't like AI, don't worry about watching it, or commenting on it.
If David A wasn't your style, he didn't win.
I don't think AI ever addressed the religion of either Mormon -- members of the LDS church picked up on it!
So... e-mail KH & WS, tell'em they're great, and relax!

they (KH and WS) didn't write it. I'm touched that you think they wrote it, but give credit where real credit is do.

that's funny that the bold letters "always" mean whose it's from, (notice your bolded letters, "To KH and WS, don't get so high on yourself.

To the homeschool bashers.

The attacks you have listed as reasons that homeschooling don't work are bunk. We homeschoolers are not a bunch of uneducated hicks with backwards children. We've been homeschooling for over 20 years and had our children attend high school to give them opportunities that we couldn't provide them. My wife and I both have college degrees and our children are routinely the best students in their schools along with being widely liked and respected. Oh, and yes, we do have a great relationship with them and they are far more thoughtful about their lives and choices than the average school system inbred atomatons.

There are also many studies that have debunked the arguments used to attack homeschoolers. In fact, there is little evidence that suggest mainstream homeschoolers suffer generally from the problems of the few. Unfortunately, those who fear homeschool use these outliers as a comfort blanket that enables them to continuing throwing stones and protect their sense of self-worth. After all, if homeschooling is good, you might have to conclude that your public school experience was inferior. Then you'd have to feel bad.

I served a mission with David's dad. Seemed like a good egg.

I love both Davids. They are both very talented and will go far. Neither of them will be "flash in the pan" musicians, as one commenter earlier said about David Cook. They are both good people, humble, caring, and it was pretty obvious that they were there for each other, just enjoying what they were doing, and both of them were surprised at the outcome. That, to me, showed real humility.

I enjoyed reading this article, and getting David Archuleta's feelings about all this. He sounds like he is well-grounded, has a level head on his shoulders, and knows what his priorities are. Those are qualities that will keep him from becoming a casualty of teen-aged stardom. That, and his faith, will keep him out of trouble, which, unfortunately, seems to plague a lot of young celebrities. I really admire him. He is a great example for young people.

As for David Cook, he deserved to win, simply because he had more vocal range, versatility, and stage presence.

As for me, I will be looking forward to hearing more from both of them.

What a great young man! The world needs more young people like David Archuleta. What a light he brings into this world that can at times feel very dark. I look forward to hearing his voice and music for years to come.

i wanted archie to win!
but its ok hell still do good
and if he does become an ear nose and throat doctor ill be getting sick more often lol

Now there is a young man you want see in rehab or chasing every skirt that walks by. He has a head on his shoulders and will go far in the music business..I still don't believe he knows how his voice affects people. Or that is he absolutely drop dead gorgeous. That's good...LOL..What a wonderful role model for young teens.

The world needs more of David Archuleta! The second week of the show, I was mesmerized with his voice. I was so disappointed that he was not "the American Idol," because he deserved it. According to interviews I have read, he wants to get into "Pop singing" for the "teens", but I hope he will continue with his present music as well. I am looking forward to purchasing an album. I am so disappointed in the "voting" practices of American Idol. According to articles I have been reading,other fans as well as myself, had votes misdirected. David Archuleta, you are the "greatest Idol" America has ever seen or "had" in a long, long time. I am so proud that you are continuing your education and that education is so important to you. You are a great young man and will be the "Idol" for everyone of all ages to respect and look up to. May God bless you and always be with you and give you the strength and endurance to accomplish all that you are capable of.