Lee DeWyze, Bret Michaels and More: American Idol Finale, In Pictures

Simon Cowell said goodbye.

Bret Michaels said hello.

And Lee DeWyze was crowned champion.

It was a long, entertaining, emotional night on American Idol, capped when Ryan Seacrest announced DeWyze as the winner, a conclusion Lee later summed up thusly:

"It just all happened so fast. It was amazing, it felt like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders and now that this big step is done, it's on to the next step, which is to make an album and go on tour and do all the things I wanted to do for a long time."

Below, we've gathered a slew of photos from the evening. There's Paula Abdul waving to fans; Carrie Underwood on the red carpet; Crystal Bowersox backstage; and so much more.

Click on each photo to enlarge it...

[Photos: Fox, Splash News]