The second night of prerecorded American Idol auditions Thursday included a stop in Little Rock as artists sang for their chance to appear in the competition's final 15th season.
"Our farewell audition tour is taking us to where it's a little country, a little bluegrass and a little rock," host Ryan Seacrest said in introducing viewers to Arkansas' capital city.
Season 8 winner Kris Allen, an Arkansas native, in August stopped by during the first round of Arkansas auditions at Verizon Arena in North Little Rock, surprising contestants with duets. Allen's wife and son also made appearances. Auditions later continued at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock.
One of those auditioning in Little Rock was Tristan McIntosh of Nashville, who at age 15 stunned the judges with her voice.
"That gave me the goosies," said Jennifer Lopez, one of three judges on American Idol's last season.
More stunning to McIntosh, though, was a surprise military homecoming from her mother, Maj. Amy McIntosh, who had been deployed with the U.S. Army to serve overseas.
On Thursday night's episode on Fox, the contestant shared her story of wishing her mother could attend before singing a rendition of Mickey Guyton's "Why Baby Why."
After the song, Lopez compared Tristan McIntosh's performance with musician Alicia Keys, calling it "beautiful and special."
"I think you made your mom so proud today," Lopez said. "I can't wait until she sees this."
As judge Harry Connick Jr. read a letter from the contestant's mom, McIntosh began to tear up, shortly before her mom walked into the audition room to surprise her daughter.
"Tristan, you're going to Hollywood," McIntosh said while giving her daughter the golden ticket to audition again in Hollywood, and after the judges had signaled their approval.
A contestant from Ashdown didn't win over the judges with her singing, but a chicken she brought in during her performance piqued the interest of at least one judge.
"My chickens have the biggest breasts in Arkansas," said Maddie McAllister, 16, in introducing her chicken that won an award at the Arkansas State Fair to the judges.
During McAllister's rendition of Carrie Underwood's "Cowboy Casanova," American Idol judge Keith Urban held on to the chicken as Lopez stood at a distance away from her seat at the judges' table.
The judges said McAllister needs a few years to mature as an artist, adding that she has a nice voice.
Other contestants who made it through to Hollywood during the Little Rock auditions include: Cameron Richard, 15, of Raceland, La.; Daniel Farmer, 24, of Memphis; Dalton Rapattoni, 19, of Dallas; La'Porsha Renae, 22, of McComb, Miss.; and Trent Harmon, 24, of Amory, Miss.
American Idol also visited San Francisco during Thursday's show. The next round of auditions is set to air at 7 p.m. Wednesday on Fox.