DeGarmo fans remain proud

Hometown disappointed but upbeat

Kevork Djansezian / AP

The tiny town of Snellville, Ga., loves its hometown star, Diana DeGarmo.

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updated 9:21 a.m. ET May 27, 2004

ATLANTA - 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.

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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.