First Person: Behind the scenes at Triangle Idol

I arrived on the scene at 8:30 in the morning and promptly made my way over to the audition area. I wanted to get a sneak peak of what I had in store for today.

Next to the audition line, I sat and listened to some of the upcoming contestants’ last-minute rehearsals, each wanted to make their 15 seconds in front of the judges worthwhile. I liked what I heard. I heard a wonderful acapella group rehearsing on one end and a man with a guitar singing the Bill Withers classic, "Ain't No Sunshine" on the other. Overall, I observed a lot of people wanting to be heard.

What's at stake: A free trip to New Orleans to audition in front of the producers of "American Idol." Unlike the X Factor auditions, only one will emerge from Saturday's auditions as the victor.

Speaking with an official of the event, they seemed excited about the event, but also dismayed at the same time. They expected a lower turnout this year than the 200+ auditions they average each year. Sure enough, he was right. The judges heard from just 109 contestants.

Judges were were Dave Rose (Deep South Entertainment), Shana J. (K 97.5 personality), and Terry Dollar (Kids Unlimited Talent Agency).

Anthony House, the day's first contestant, started things off right with his rendition of a song by John Legend. Waiting in line for almost five hours, he had a high anticipation to impress the judges.

The day progressed well and each contestant gave their all. By lunch time, though, there were some clear front runners.

The song choice was vast among those auditioning. Songs from Beyonce, Michael Bublé, and many others echoed throughout the acoustics of the Promotional Court at Crabtree Valley Mall.

Who will the judges pick to go to New Orleans? 

The judges selected Chuck Dixon of Roxboro as the Triangle Idol. The announcement was made Sunday night on WRAL News on Fox 50.