American Idol finalist from LI who used music to beat stutter gets heros welcome home

It’s the encore of a lifetime.Jesse Findling, a 20-year-old Long Island man who captured the nation’s heart by defying a lifelong stutter to soar his way to the top 12 of “American Idol,” has enjoyed a life-changing hero’s welcome since returning home.“It wasn’t just about singing for me,” the Massapequa Park sensation told The Post minutes before belting out the National Anthem at the NHL Islanders’ season finale last week – his largest-ever live crowd.“Doing things like this, I feel like I would have never done before …I definitely feel less shy now than I was.I’m really grateful that the show allowed me to kind of open up in that way,” he said.The biology student with a near 4.0 at Binghamton University said he was humbled as UBS Arena roared when he sang the “Star Spangled Banner” to perfection.It was a full-circle moment for the talented vocalist to be face-to-face with the core of his supporters who have been voting for him since the season’s early episodes.“When I’ve been out, people stop me and say hi and things like that, which makes me super happy,” said Findling, who was recruited by the show after a talent scout saw a video of him singing.“Just knowing that everybody [on Long Island] was watching and supporting me feels great.

So it’s been a really warm welcome back at home.”Findling’s dad Scott said he knew Jesse was a natural since he was singing with a chorus in venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center as a little boy.“He never really had professional training,” said Scott, who added that Ryan Seacrest remarked to the family about how Jesse can engage so well with an audience.Music was always on in the Findling home, and the family loved attending concerts together to see their beloved Benson Boone and summertime acts at nearby Jones Beach. Jesse would constantly sing in the car with his sister, Samantha, a 22-year-old nurse.“We always tell her she should have tried out for ‘American Ido...