Scotty McCreery is encouraging his fellow North Carolinians to audition for the upcoming season of American Idol, hyping auditions that are coming to the area in just over a week.

"I auditioned for American Idol ten years ago this summer," McCreery says in a video that's debuting exclusively on Taste of Country. "I auditioned because I was always a fan of the show, I watched it every season. I just loved singing around town, too, in North Carolina," McCreery says in the video below.

"I figured I'd give it a shot," the country singer recalls of his audition. "Worst thing they could say was 'no,' but it turned out really, really cool."

McCreery's audition for American Idol made headlines in advance of his season when part of his interaction with then-judge Steven Tyler was leaked, showing the Aerosmith singer's reaction to the then-17-year-old singer's audition. After McCreery showed off his well-developed baritone by singing Josh Turner's "Your Man," Tyler asked him to show the higher part of his range, and McCreery responded by singing Travis Tritt's "Put Some Drive in Your Country."

"Well hellfire, save matches, f--k a duck and see what hatches," an astonished Tyler exclaimed, in a moment that went viral.

McCreery won Season 10 of the iconic reality singing competition on May 25, 2011, and he's gone on to a stellar career that includes three No. 1 hits in "Five More Minutes," "This Is it" and "In Between."

"You never know what can happen," McCreery says. "So I definitely, definitely would audition."

The 2020 American Idol auditions are coming to North Carolina on Sept. 9, 2020. For more information, please visit americanidol.com/auditions.

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