‘Idols’ reign in the rain in New York

American Idol winner Ruben Studdard and runner-up Clay Aiken took the “Today” show by storm Monday, wowing a crowd of screaming fans who braved a downpour for a glimpse of their favorites.

“It’s like a monsoon. Poor Clay is worried about his hair,” Katie Couric joked as she tousled Aiken’s slightly less spiky than usual ‘do.

Aiken helped Couric introduce “Roooooooooooooobin” Studdard, as the fans have come to call him, then beamed from the sidelines as his “Idol” pal crooned his renditions of “Flying Without Wings” and “Superstar.”

The two teamed for a patriotic Memorial Day duet, “God Bless the U.S.A.”

Studdard, 24, of Birmingham, Ala., edged out Aiken, 24, of Raleigh, N.C., by only 130,000 of 24 million votes cast by telephone. The final show of the competition, aired Wednesday night on Fox TV, drew an estimated 33.7 million viewers. Both finalists got record contracts.

From Associated Press