Clay Aiken look-alike sings on American Idol finale

<p>Up on the "American Idol" stage, the girls began screaming and Michael Sandecki of Hinesville, Ga., thought it was for him.</p><p>But then he realized they were screaming because the show producers had offered him what he always wanted _ Clay Aiken, the man who Sandecki was impersonating, was up on the stage, singing with him.</p><p>"It was overwhelming just being on that stage," the 21-year-old said of being able to perform with the show's second-season runner-up. "When I first auditioned, I said my dream was to do a duet with Clay Aiken. They let me live my dream."</p><p>Even though the spotlight during last week's season finale was on "Idol" winner Taylor Hicks of Birmingham, Ala., the TV talent contest granted Sandecki a second spotlight moment by singing on a show filled with performances by well-known artists such as Prince and Mary J. Blige.</p><p>Although little-known Sandecki already had been booted by "Idol" judges during auditions, he received the tongue-in-cheek "Best Impersonator" award for a wardrobe, haircut and singing style the judges said were clearly patterned after Aiken.</p><p>As Sandecki began to sing the first few lines of Elton John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me," the real Aiken _ sporting a slick new look _ surprised Sandecki by coming onstage to sing with him. Sandecki's style evoked the originally geeky Aiken from the second season.</p><p>Earlier in the season, Sandecki's effort to enter the contest ended after acid-tongued judge Simon Cowell slammed his struggling performance of "In the Still of the Night" as "excruciating."</p><p>During that audition, the contestant told judges his poor performance was due to the fact he needed a bathroom break. When he was given a chance to take a break and try again, the show filmed his mad dash back, using the theme song of the movie "Chariots of Fire" in the background. He was quickly dismissed after singing a second time.</p><p>But on "American Idol," a bad audition does not always signal a performer's last chance for recognition.</p><p>After realizing his dream, Sandecki said he can't wait to return to Hinesville.</p><p>"I don't know what to expect," he said. "In the airport, people are asking for my autograph. I don't know what to say, I'm just Mike."</p><p>___</p><p>HASH(0x1cdcba8)</p>