Los Angeles ? The big voice overwhelmed the beatbox Wednesday night as Jordin Sparks was crowned the newest and youngest “American Idol.”

Jordin Sparks reacts to being announced the winner of American

Sparks, 17, of Glendale, Ariz., prevailed over Blake Lewis, 25, of Bothell, Wash., after a triumphant performance Tuesday that wowed the show’s judges and the viewers who gave her a majority of the record 74 million votes cast.

“Mom, Dad, I love you,” Sparks, the daughter of retired NFL player Phillippi Sparks, said tearfully after a bearhug from Lewis.

In an interview backstage with The Associated Press, the overwhelmed winner recalled talking with her dad about how she used to watch him sign autographs.

Sparks said he told her, “‘You’re more famous than me now.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, Dad, that’s so weird.”‘

Did she feel she grew as an artist during the competition, as the series’ judges remarked?

“I totally think I did,” Sparks said. “I’ve just been trying to top myself each week … I would sing my song and then after I was done I was, ‘OK, what am I going to do next week that’s going to be … just as good or better.”

The contest came down to either the stronger singer, Sparks, or the better entertainer, Lewis. Sparks delivered her songs simply and powerfully; Lewis’ flourishes included his beatbox sound effects and sharp dance moves.

Even the famous were gushing over Sparks.

“She is an awesome singer,” finale performer Smokey Robinson said backstage. “She sings so good, it’s hard to believe she’s 17. To sing like that you would have to have lived for a long time. She’s an old soul.”

The finale pulled out the stops and the stars, with Gwen Stefani, Tony Bennett, Bette Midler, Green Day and more singing.

The two-hour show opened with Lewis and Sparks dueting on the Beatles “I Saw Her Standing There,” followed quickly by a touring Stefani singing “4 in the Morning” via satellite from Massachusetts.

Midler took the stage as the show came toward its close, singing “The Wind Beneath My Wings.”

Past “Idol” winners and this season’s contestants got a hefty share of attention, starting with first-season winner Kelly Clarkson. She performed her new single “Never Again,” with the gritty rock song matched by her black dress and thigh-high boots.

Carrie Underwood, the fourth-season idol, sang “I’ll Stand by You” and was honored by legendary music mogul Clive Davis for reaching 6 million in sales for her debut album, “Some Hearts.”

Taylor Hicks, last season’s winner, also had his moment in the finale sun, as did Ruben Studdard, the winner from year two.

Robinson, a Motown great, performed “Being with You” after the top six male contestants, including fan fave Sanjaya Malakar, sang “Ooh Baby Baby,” a hit for Robinson and his group the Miracles.

Blake, whose beat-boxing scored with viewers, performed with veteran rapper Doug E. Fresh on his old hit, “The Show.” It was a signature moment for a contest that has introduced young viewers to Gershwin and other standards.

Gladys Knight took the stage with the six female finalists, belting out “I Feel a Song” and “Midnight Train to Georgia.” Bennett performed a mellow version of “For Once in My Life” that ended with a big finish.

“A true idol, Tony Bennett, ladies and gentlemen,” Seacrest gushed, with good reason.

Melinda Doolittle, arguably the best “Idol” contestant to miss out on the finale, returned to impress the crowd again as she sang “Hold Up the Line” with gospel stars BeBe and CeCe Winans.

The show took a serious turn when Green Day performed “A Working Class Hero is Something to Be,” a single from “Instant Karma: The Campaign to Save Darfur,” a fundraising album for the embattled region.

The finale also had its share of filler, including bits such as the “Golden Idols,” an award saluting the oddest of odd auditions, or the worst.