Ryan Seacrest has spent a decade hosting the Fox competition show American Idol, letting the contestants know whether or not they’ve progressed to the next round or have been eliminated. On the season finale on Wednesday night, Seacrest actually sang a song himself.
Jackson told the crowd he’s been trying to convince Seacrest to sing all season and he finally got his “whole family” to back him up.
Seacrest’s mother, Connie, father Gary and sister Meredith were on hand to introduce him. Connie told Randy Jackson and the enthused crowd, . "Randy, it took a lot of convincing to get him to agree to sing a song from his very first concert in Atlanta: Richard Marx. I remember driving him to the Fox Theater."
E! Online reports the camera then turned to Seacrest singing Marx’s "Right Here Waiting,” with Marx accompanying him on the piano – and even singing a little bit – and judges Harry Connick, Jr., Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban cheering for him out of their seats.