'American Idol' Lee DeWyze: Road to the Finals

(CANVAS STAFF REPORTS) - "American Idol" hopeful Lee DeWyze is one of the two finalists in the season nine finale, and he might be peaking at just the right time.

Last week's performances of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" and "Simple Man," by Lynyrd Skynyrd, solidified his chance at winning the competition. Judge Ellen DeGeneres called his performance of "Hallelujah" "simply stunning" while judge Kara DioGuardi called him "the heart of the show."

For Sinatra Week, DeWyze closed the night with a performance of "That's Life," which was one of the best performances.

Earlier in the competition DeWyze performed Joe Cocker's hit, "The Letter," which also won raves from fans and the judges.

DeWyze is a paint-store clerk from Mount Prospect, Ill., who auditioned in Chicago. He fronts the Lee DeWyze Band in which he plays acoustic guitar and has released the album "Slumberland" in 2009, according to The Hollywood Gossip .

DeWyze lists Cat Stevens, Simon & Garfunkel, Eric Clapton and Ben Harper as his musical influences and he has been writing songs since age 16. He auditioned in Chicago, where he sang Marilyn Manson's "The Beautiful People."

Asked by USA Today's Idol Chatter why should viewers vote for him, DeWyze answered, "I know I'm going to give it everything I have. Hopefully, I'll give them a reason to pick me."