Diana DeGarmo may be coming home second best, but there’s still a parade waiting for her.
Snellville Mayor Jerry Oberholtzer said a heroine’s welcome would greet DeGarmo at her suburban Atlanta hometown despite being bested Wednesday on Fox’s “American Idol” by North Carolina resident Fantasia Barrino.
“She’s going to have a great future in front of her,” Oberholtzer said.
About 2,500 people, including Oberholtzer and Gov. Sonny Perdue, gathered at the Georgia Dome to watch the two-hour broadcast of the popular reality television show.
Kristi Barksdale, whose daughter went to school with 16-year-old DeGarmo, was disappointed with the native daughter’s loss but didn’t see it as the end of the world.
“We’ve supported Diana from day one, so it’s a disappointment. But we’re happy for both of them,” Barksdale said.
Meanwhile, fans of Barrino who were in attendance erupted into cheers.
“It was a shock, but I just gave a high five to a guy holding a Fantasia sign,” said Scott Grigsby, of Snellville, who was accompanied by his 14-year-old daughter.
For others, the disappointment outweighed being happy for the winner.
“We’re not happy,” Snellville resident Evey Hanrich said with a frown as she left the arena with a crowd of other DeGarmo supporters.
But if the fate of last season’s runner-up is any indication, DeGarmo may still have a lot to look forward to. Clay Aiken, who finished second last season, went on to sell more than 2 million copies of his debut CD and enjoys just as much fame as the winner, Ruben Studdard.