RJ Helton

So I went to downtown Atlanta, early the night before auditions were actually supposed to take place, and waited in line. I was the first person in line. It was very, very cool. I loved it. The audition process was very stressful; we had a couple of preliminary auditions before we actually went in and met with the judges.

GC: How did going through that particular experience, the pressure placed on you, affect you? Especially as the contestants continued to be weeded out, you were still in the fold right through to the top five. How did that experience mold you to become a more complete artist?

RJH: I think what I had lacking in performance was confidence because I’ve been turned away so many times by different things. I was always involved with musical theatre and was a tap dancer for a couple of years. What I really wanted was to be a recording artist and it didn’t look like that was going to happen. The audition process definitely made me a stronger person. You have to have tough skin when you're in front of people who say you’re not good, you need to go home or you’re great, let’s see what we can do. Each level I got through, I was so, so grateful but just so shocked; I just couldn’t believe it. I said, “This is not happening to me right now,” but it was just so God the way everything happened and worked itself out. I did get very stressed and discouraged at times but I handled that through prayer - big time. That’s how I would get through my days - every single day.

GC: You described it, in many respects, as one of the most joyous times and some of the most heartbreaking experiences. How did the American Idol experience become such a mixed emotion?

RJH: I had just turned twenty-one. I was still learning about who I was and who I wanted to be. It was time for me to actually think about my future long-term instead of just short-term. The emotions came from me being away from everything familiar and normal: my family and friends to that bubble we call Hollywood. It was very, very stressful at times and I’m a southern boy. We don’t deal with things like that.