Tom Jones, Tony Bennett perform on ‘American Idol’ finale

Wednesday night’s “American Idol” finale was packed with celebrity guests. Some of these stars— like Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Bono — were easily recognizable to audience members of all ages. Others may have had some younger “Idol” viewers wondering, “Who is that?”
As the Post’s Lisa de Moraes points out in her recap of the finale, “Idol” finalists and previous contestants got to perform with some big name musicians, including Tim McGraw, TLC, rapper Lil Jon and even actor and Tenacious D member Jack Black.
But I’m betting, based on Google trends, quite a few people who watched the finale didn’t know who Tom Jones was, as he performed “It’s Not Unusual.” I guess kids these days are too young to remember Carlton Banks getting down to the song on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” Crooner Tony Bennett also made an appearance on “Idol,” and now on Google, singing “Steppin’ Out With My Baby” with Haley Reinhart.

Tom Jones, Tim McGraw, the Kiss and More Highlights from the Idol Finale

It was an American Idol finale for the record books: Steven Tyler sang "Dream On," Jennifer Lopez and husband Marc Anthony shared a dance and a kiss on stage, country legends Tim McGraw and Carrie Underwood wowed, James Durbin got his happy metal ending with Judas Priest, Tom Jones showed the men of the top 13 how it's done and Haley Reinhart even sang a snazzy version of "Steppin' Out with My Baby" with Tony Bennett.

But the night belonged to Scotty McCreery, who took home the Idol crown.

"It was just a moment I will never forget," said McCreery, 17, of his win. "This was all about me being able to accomplish my dreams. I'm an American Idol. That was a huge dream. It's time for me to start my career. The real work begins."

Runner-up Lauren Alaina, who says she knew McCreery was going to win, had nothing but kind words for her fellow finalist. "It was God's plan for Scotty to get first," said Alaina, 16. "No matter what, that was the way it is supposed to be."

Though her voice was giving her trouble on the night of her final performances, the singer says it didn't affect the votes. "My voice had nothing to do with it. Things happen for a reason."

And what was the reason behind the smooch the two shared on stage?

"She stays true to her word," McCreery said with a chuckle. "She told me she was going to do that. It's all fun and games."

Though McCreery says they two aren't dating, he couldn't stop boasting about Alaina. "She's a sweetheart," he said. "She's just so amazing. It's a special relationship we have."

The season 10 finalists even plan to duet. "We've talked about it for a while," McCreery said. "I think we sound great together so I think that would be a wise choice."

Next, McCreery plans to get in the studio and record a great country album as soon as he can. "It's my duty," he said. "I owe it my fans."

But first he's looking forward to a little downtime. "I just want to chill on the couch," he said, "and watch Sports Center."