Crystal Bowersox was the runner-up to Lee DeWyze in Season Nine of American Idol. Some American Idol trackers have felt that this is one of the most shocking results in the history of the show’s finales, as Bowersox demonstrated throughout the competition that she was a unique and supremely talented artist who brought something different to the competition.

 

Along with her talent, Bowersox showed the ability to overcome severe adversity. A sufferer of Type I diabetes since she was a child, Bowersox was hospitalized on March 2, 2009 due to complications from the disease. The show rearranged the schedule for the following week to give her extra time to recover. She responded by giving a performance that wowed the judges and cemented her legacy on the show.

 

Before auditioning for American Idol, Bowersox was a veteran of the club music scene in Ohio and Illinois. She had performed professionally since she was 10, doing everything from bar gigs to busking at train stations in Chicago. She had regularly performed at open mic nights in Chicago, and was chosen by the city’s department of cultural affairs to travel to Birmingham, England to represent the city as part of a folk music cultural exchange.

 

After finishing second to DeWyze in the finale of American Idol’s ninth season, Bowersox signed a recording contract with Jive Records. Her debut album Farmer’s Daughter is slated to be released on December 14, 2010, with the title track serving as the lead single. Billboard Magazine has described the tracks on Farmer’s Daughter as "rough-and-tumbled country with a bluesy heart."