Crystal Bowersox

Crystal Bowersox might be a small town girl from Elliston, Ohio, but she definitely doesn’t have the voice to match.

Bowersox made her debut as a contestant on season nine of American Idol. She became a favorite of not only the fans but also the judges with her amazing voice and proved her talent by making it to the finals. Idol hadn’t seen a female finalist since Jordin Sparks in 2007. Bowersox was also the first contestant to have one of her own songs featured on the show. The song “Holy Toledo” was played during the top three results show through her homecoming package.

Bowersox hasn't always enjoyed such success, however. Crystal began as a struggling musician, often playing music in Chicago train stations to earn money and performing gospel music at her church. Bowersox hasn't always had it easy in the love department, either. She has a young son, Tony, who was born in 2009. During American Idol Crystal dated Tony Kusian, but they ultimately broke up mere hours before the show's finale. As she told Ryan Seacrest, "he went home. He wasn't cool with the lifestyle ... he's a small-town guy and it's fine, but I'm a small-town girl and I want this. I want this more than anything -- this career, this lifestyle. I didn't think he was up for it." The artist's love life has taken a turn for the better, though, and just announced she became engaged to musician Brian Walker. The happy couple plans to marry this October.

During her time on American Idol Crystal announced that she has Type I Diabetes and was hospitalized in March of this year as a result of the illness. Now that she has opened up about having Diabetes, she plans to use her career in the spotlight to bring more awareness to the disease.

You can watch Crystal Bowersox perform live at Q102's Bosom Ball on Thursday, October 21, along with several other artists. Great music for a fantastic cause, what's better than that?