Country crooner and Garner native Scotty McCreery, who won season 10, encouraged the contestants who lined up outside Time Warner Cable Arena in the pre-dawn hours, long before the actual auditions began.
"At the end of the day, they're artists out here, and they're going to sing their hearts out," McCreery said. "All of the North Carolina 'Idols,' we're rooting for them."
Ashlyn Vogelsang, of Sanford, said McCreery's success encouraged her to try out.
"That makes me feel like it's really possible to get on the show," Vogelsang said. "I'm here for the experience and to test my confidence and see how good I really am, because that's always been a mystery to me.
In celebration of our military heroes and their families, the New
England Warrior Benefit will feature a dazzling line-up of live
entertainment, including performances by:
American Idol Season 10 winner Scotty McCreery, who will entertain guests with a selection of his hits
Singer-songwriter Nicki Gonzalez, who will serenade guests with a rousing rendition of the National Anthem
The Minuteman Brass Band, part of the 215th Army Band of the Massachusetts National Guard, will entertain with rousing jazz and brass classics
Additionally, we’ll be joined by:
Anthony Everett, the Emmy Award-winning anchor of
WCVB-TV Channel 5’s nightly news magazine, “Chronicle,” will serve as
event emcee to introduce our honorees – U.S. Special Operations Warner and Congressman Duncan Hunter, Commander Admiral Eric T. Olson, Senator John Warner and our Special Operations veterans and families
New England Patriots Cheerleaders, who will help celebrate the culmination of our exciting, one-of-a-kind Dirico motorcycle auction