Lee University alum Clark Beckham has secured a spot in the top seven finalists of season 14 of American Idol. He will continue to appear each week on the FOX show in hopes to earn enough votes to be selected as America’s next idol.

American Idol is a singing competition series created by Simon Fuller and produced by 19 Entertainment. Based on the British show Pop Idol, it started airing on June 11, 2002, and has become one of the most successful shows in the history of American television. It is recognized as a springboard for launching the career of many artists over the past 13 years.

Beckham is the fourth Lee student to make it to the Hollywood rounds or further on Fox network’s reality TV talent show. The others are Phil Stacy, who placed sixth in season six; Chase Guyton, and Jermaine Purifory, who advanced into the Hollywood rounds.

Beckham graduated from Lee in May 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in history. While at Lee, he was a member of Campus Choir, performed in the theatre production “Big River,” and wrote and performed the original music, using Shakespearean lyrics, for a production of “Much Ado About Nothing.” He also composed the score for two short films and wrote an original song titled “Love’s Not Fair,” which appeared in the short film “The Poor Cowards.”

American Idol airs every Wednesday at 8 p.m. on FOX. Tune in to view and vote. The winner of Season 14 will be chosen May 13.

For more information about Beckham, visit www.clarkbeckham.com.

For more information about the show or how to vote, visit http://www.americanidol.com.