 "Photo: Courtesy of Jonathan Baines")
Just one month ago, 17-year-old Jonathan Baines said he could have never imagined being stopped in the middle of dinner with friends at McDonald's to sign an autograph.
That is because just one month ago, Baines' 20-second appearance on Fox's seventh season of "American Idol" had not aired yet.
When it eventually aired, on Tuesday, Jan. 15, Baines said he became an overnight celebrity in his small hometown of Smyrna, Del.
"Just 20 seconds on TV can do somebody wonders," he said.
The segment showed Baines' audition in Philadelphia in front of judges Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson, where after singing "A Little More You" by country group Little Big Town, he was accepted to audition in the next round of the competition in Hollywood. Out of the 28,000 people who came to audition, Baines said only 200 of them, including himself, made it to the next round.
He said he was nervous, but also confident, when he auditioned, and he was surprised by the judges' reactions.
"When Simon said, 'You have a really good voice' it totally caught me off guard," Baines said. "I was like, 'Really? Wow.' That's not what I was expecting to hear."
Baines, who had to go through two initial auditions before filming his television appearance on Sept. 2, said his friends pushed him to audition when he decided not to pursue the show.
"It's such a random process, so in my mind I was thinking 'What are my chances?' " he said. "I didn't want to stand in line for a whole entire day just to not make it."
But Baines did make it - at least on to the next round. He said he signed a contract that does not permit him to say anything about the Hollywood round until it airs on Fox tonight.
What he can say, though, is behind-the-scenes the judges are friendly and funny.
"Simon is definitely hilarious off-stage," Baines said. "He was very nice and very kind."
Baines, who was born in North Carolina, describes himself as a Christian country boy. He first started singing in youth choir at his church in Smyrna where is father is a pastor. When friends started recognizing his talent, Baines said music became his second passion. His first is his faith.
"My faith is one thing that I hope will stand out in this competition if they show more of me," he said. "That's who I am. I'm a Christian."
As a senior in high school, he said he takes classes at Delaware Technical Community College in Dover to earn extra credits while staying active in church and finding time for his friends.
"My life is very busy and packed and I love it," Baines said.
Since the show aired, he said his busy life has gotten even busier. Offers from music producers is just one of the opportunities "American Idol" has given him. Now, he also has fans.
"I have had over 300 friend requests on MySpace, a ton of friend requests on Facebook and I have had so many people creating fan clubs," Baines said. "This is insane."
But Baines said he does not mind the attention and his friends, family and church members have been supportive of his accomplishments.
Sara Hopkins, a choir director at the church, said she thinks Baines has the potential to go far.
"As long as Jonathan keeps his priorities where they need to be I think he'll do really good at whatever he ends up doing," Hopkins said. "I'm very excited for him."
Baines said he also plays piano and guitar, and eventually he wants to have a career in music. He would also like to try out acting as well. Even if he does not make it big on "American Idol," he said he will still pursue music and try to record an album.
Baines said ultimately he would like to go to college and get a degree in music.
"I'm starting to spread my wings a little bit, and I'm pursuing my dreams," he said. "I'm not waiting for it to come to me. I'm going after it."
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