'American Idol' Contestants Head to N.C. for Tour


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'American Idol' Contestants Head to N.C. for Tour

The Top 10 finalists in this year's “American Idol” competition will perform at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Greensboro Coliseum. Phil Stacey made it to the top 10 on “American Idol” but he hasn't been mobbed by fans, yet.

“Most of the time, I can go places without being recognized unless I'm with Chris Sligh or Sanjaya (Malakar). They seem more readily recognizable,” Stacey said in a phone interview from Worcester , Mass. , on Wednesday afternoon. The American Idols Live Tour stopped in Worcester for a show Wednesday night.

Stacey was the “Dad” on the show. The story of his daughter's birth during auditions was on Web sites and in publications around the country. It earned a lot of “aww” points with families.

“Honestly, our daughter wasn't due for another two weeks. And my wife encouraged me to try out. She pushed me to do it,” he said.

The fact that Stacey actually auditioned in the first place was a fluke. He was scheduled to be best man in his best friend's wedding and was told “the only way he'd forgive me from missing his wedding is if I'd try out for ‘American Idol.' ”

So he missed his best friend's wedding and the birth of his second daughter but won the hearts of TV fans.

For now, Stacey, along with American Idol finalists Sligh, Malakar, Haley Scarnato, Chris Richardson, LaKisha Jones, Gina Glocksen, Melinda Doolittle, Blake Lewis and Jordin Sparks, this year's winner, are on a nationwide tour. It stops in Greensboro at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

“The tour is going really well,” he said. “We're particularly excited about coming to North Carolina . We have a lot of fans there and the state is known for turning out Idol finalists.”

He's talking about the five music superstars from North Carolina: 2006 finalists Chris Daughtry of the rock band Daughtry, country music stars Bucky Covington and Kellie Pickler, 2004 winner Fantasia, who is now on Broadway in “The Color Purple” and 2003 runner-up Clay Aiken, a musical celebrity in his own right.

Before setting foot on the Idol stage, Stacey said he is a self-proclaimed “American Idol” fan. He watched all five seasons and never imagined that he would be a part of the show.

“It's a dream come true. It's been that way for everybody on the show,” said the 29-year-old preacher's kid from Jacksonville , Fla. His dad, granddad and father-in-law are all ministers.

“I think I was probably expected to follow in their footsteps but took this route instead.”

He is currently in negotiations with a record label in Nashville . His first CD, a country/gospel album, is due out next April.

Looking back on the show, Stacey's fondest memory was of the “Idol Gives Back” concert to raise money for less fortunate in Africa and our own country. During the filming, it was tough to keep emotions in check.

“We were all a sloppy mess,” Stacey said. “There was so much that wasn't shown on TV that we saw and experienced, too. It was unbelievable. To be able to give back like that, that's what this business is all about.”

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