Angela Hacker Wins Nashville Star Season 5

It really didn't come as a surprise and probably would have been a truly shocking ending if it didn't happen, but it did and it's official: the winner of Nashville Star Season 5 is country songbird, Angela Hacker. It was a proud night for the Hacker clan, not only to see Angela win, but to see her brother, Zac, come in second. Angela has gotten the top votes in every recent episode. Her closest contenders have been brother, Zac and Baton Rouge, Louisiana native, David St. Romain.

Hostess, Jewel, revealed onstage in Week 7 that Angela and Zac are excellent singers for a very good reason: they have music in her blood. The Muscle Shoals, Alabama natives are third cousins to none other than Elvis Presley, the King of Rock 'n Roll himself. Their hometown is also famous in the annals of music. In the 1960s and '70s, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, Reba McEntire and Ronnie Milsap are among the many luminaries who recorded songs in Muscle Shoals.

As many people already know, Season 5 of USA Network's Nashville Star. Season 5 started out with 10 outstanding finalists and was hosted by versatile singer, Jewel, and that 6'5" "hick-hop" singer, Cowboy Troy. One of the big differences, besides the extended age limit, between American Idol and Nashville Star is that the country show contestants are required to perform one of their original compositions. Many people look forward to that episode, more so than any other, since it usually separates the wheat from the chaff.

The original song episode of Season 5 showcased a particular problem -- there was no chaff! The top 5 contestants blew the house away when they all performed their awesome original material, making the season a standout in not just singing but songwriting talent. Every one of the top 5 finalists performed a potential hit and received heady compliments from the judges, country star Randy Owen of Alabama, music executive Anastasia Brown and country singer, Blake Shelton.

After their outstanding performances, in an unprecedented decision, Jewel saved the contestants from that inevitable moment of sadness when someone has to leave. She announced that because of technical difficulties with the preceding show, the voting results were being thrown out and all five were going to return. This is undoubtedly the reason that the winner was chosen when it got down to three, rather than two.

When the show resumed in Week 6, beautiful Tennesean, Whitney Duncan, who sang "When A Man Loves A Woman," left the show leaving Angela as the only woman to continue to compete against the remaining men, Zac, David and Joshua Steven of Iowa.

Joshua's original song called "Wish I Missed You," left few dry eyes in the house. The song expressed his emotions about his birth mom whom he had not seen since he was 11 years old. Joshua hoped his exposure on Nashville Star would help him reconnect with her. The most poignant moment of Week 7 occurred when Joshua and his mother were reunited back in Iowa and a clip was shown commemorating the moment. At the end of show, Joshua was voted off but told Jewel: "I'm gonna make a record. ... I'm not gonna give up."

When the finale began, Randy Owen opened the show backed up by all of this season's top 10. Jewel then called Angela over and told her that she was finishing in the top two. As David St. Romain's fans shouted his name repeatedly, the exuberant singer learned that he received the least amount of votes and would finish in third place. He agreed to perform a final song and rocked the house with his performance of "Wave on Wave." David expressed his gratitude for the entire experience as each judge told him what a great entertainer he is.

Angela Hacker, who was told by Randy Owen that he would buy a ticket to see her perform, then sang "I Can't Make You Love Me." Zac followed up with a repeat performance of his original song, "If It Wasn't For the Whiskey (Daddy Would Have Been a Good Man)." Randy again told Zac that "he could win the whole thing." The two siblings then brought the house down with a rousing duet of Otis Redding's song, "Hard To Handle," and made it clear in conversation with Jewel that whichever of them won, they would perform together as often as they could.

Jewel asked Zac and Angela who they voted for last week. Zac said he voted for Angela and Angela said she voted for herself, too. Cowboy Troy at last announced that sister Angela was the new Nashville Star. In addition to the official title, Angela won a recording contract, a guaranteed appearance on the Grand Old Opry and a Chevy Silverado.

Coming in second and third isn't a bad thing for Zac and David by any means. They will receive recording contracts and, as a matter of fact, several of Nashville Star's second and third place winners have fared better in terms of record sales than the actual winner.

Actually, it wouldn't be surprising that statistic was changed by this season and all the extraordinary top 5 singers on Nashville Star Season 5 sold millions of records.