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‘I had no doubt Lee would make it to the finale!’ says DeWyze’s former high school teacher Amy Silverman. By Gil Kaufman Lee DeWyze on “American Idol” Photo: FOX Just about anywhere you went in Lee DeWyze’s hometown of Mt. Prospect, Illinois, last week, his fans, friends and supporters weren’t shy about telling you that their guy was going to make it to next week’s “American Idol” finale, and that he’ll probably even win. Well, on Thursday (May 20) morning, they were feeling pretty pumped up now that half of that prophecy has come true. “I had no doubt Lee would make it to the finale!” crowed his good friend and former high school teacher Amy Silverman. “Although we all know anything can happen, Lee not making it to the finale would have been comparable to Chicago being hit by a tsunami! Really, he is the best! And the fact that millions of people … young and old, male and female, love him and his music so much proves that he deserves to be on the big stage next week!” Silverman, who met Lee not long after the once-rebellious teen had just taken up guitar, said she could only imagine the hooting and hollering going on in houses, restaurant and bars in the area when host Ryan Seacrest announced that Lee would be facing off against Crystal Bowersox in next Tuesday night’s final sing-off for the crown. “I know where I was [the Fox and Hound in Arlington Heights ]. The whole building was shaking from the energy of people screaming, yelling, whistling, clapping, and of course, there were tears of joy!” she said. “As far as next week goes, Lee has got it! Although, I think Crystal is very talented too, Lee has the versatility and reaches a much wider range of fans.” Dr. Patricia Tedaldi-Monti, dean of students at Prospect High School , which Lee attended from ninth grade until partway through senior year, could hardly contain her excitement either. “It gives you chills to see him,” she said of the former student who promised her that he’d be a rock star someday before he left her school. “I feel great about any former student who succeeds, but his story … he’s worked so hard and done unbelievable.” Tedaldi-Monti, who also feels confident Lee is going to win, said she doesn’t think the 24-year-old singer has peaked yet and that his best performances are yet to come. Even though he’s been watching Lee perform all around the Chicagoland area for more than six years, friend Brian Friedopfer was still shocked at Wednesday night’s results show. “Going into it, we were pretty confident and felt good about it. But as soon as they made it official, we just jumped out of our seats,” he said Thursday morning. “Once I sat down after the initial excitement, I had one of those moments like Lee did when he came home, and I said,’ Holy crap!’ ” Friedopfer was confident his friend could win from the moment DeWyze tried out for “Idol” almost a year ago, but the reality didn’t really sink in until well after the news was delivered by Seacrest. “I was sitting there real quiet and my friends asked, ‘Are you okay?’ ” he recalled. ” ‘Yeah, I’m just trying to take it in,’ I said. It hit me, like, ‘Holy sh–! He can really win this!’ It was a humbling moment.” Like Tedaldi-Monti, Friedopfer said he thinks DeWyze hasn’t hit his peak yet and might still have some surprises in store. “I’ve seen him goofing off around us and he’s belted out some crazy stuff,” he said. “He hasn’t done that yet. He’s been pretty tame out there. So watch out, America!” Related Videos ‘American Idol’ In 60 Seconds Related Photos Lee DeWyze: From Illinois Boy To ‘American Idol’ Star ‘American Idol’ Season Nine Performances

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Lee DeWyze’s Hometown Ecstatic About His ‘American Idol’ Finale Bid