American Idol Worship

Over 30 million viewers are expected to tune into the American Idol finale, which airs tonight. Soundcheck looks into the reasons behind phenomenon. Beyond the passionate singing and pop tunes, the show has become a barometer of popular culture. We'll look at why it's so influential on the music industry, how it embraces the notion of failure, and how it stems from a long tradition of amateur talent contests. Later in the show an Americana idol, bluegrass musician Del McCoury performs live in studio. He'll talk about what it was like singing lead with Bill Monroe in 1963 and winning a Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album last year.