Former Clef still an idol to his Chapel Hill fans

Anoop Desai sang his heart out. His fans called in enough votes to get him through to American Idol's top seven contestants.

He's overwhelmed and humbled by the response" said Clef Hangers president Steve McQuaid.

But after narrowly making it through three intense months, his run to the top of the popular reality talent contest ended April 22.

The former UNC Clef Hanger and 2008 graduate, who is currently pursuing his masters degree in folklore at UNC, was ready for a long run on American Idol. The Chapel Hill community lined up to support him every step of the way.

My love for American Idol was born when a Clef Hanger got on it"" first-year Madison Phillips said at a viewing party at Players near the beginning of this season.

American Idol was a bumpy ride for Desai. After making it to the top 36 competitors, he failed to earn enough votes to advance to the next round of 12.

But the judges saved Desai, offering him a wild card bid several weeks later. When they called Desai and fellow Idol contestant Matt Giraud to the stage, Desai's fans in Chapel Hill and across the country crossed their fingers.

Giraud's name was called, and Desai remained on stage to be told he was going home. But judge Simon Cowell had a surprise — Desai was moving on and would round out American Idol's first-ever top 13.

Each week, students and community members did all they could to send Desai to the next round.

Store owners hung posters that mimicked the now-iconic posters of President Barack Obama, featuring Desai's image and the word vote"" in their shops. Students organized events in the Pit to encourage others to vote for ""Anoop-Dogg."" An ""Anoop Desai"" Facebook profile page boasts more than 22"000 fans.

Throughout the competition" Desai's fan base did not vote enough to move him from round to round without worries.

Desai was among the bottom four contestants before narrowly making it into the top 11. He came back the following week with a strong performance of Willie Nelson's ""Always on my Mind.""

""You managed to go from zero to hero"" Cowell told Desai after the performance.

Two weeks later Desai found himself in the bottom three — a familiar spot for the singing Tar Heel in the following weeks.

Some followers never lost faith and voted him through till the end.

And even though he did not take home the show's top prize, Desai's Chapel Hill fans said they hope their hometown idol will continue his singing career.

He's got a different sound than the rest of the contestants — he's not going to get lost in the mix"" said former Clef Hanger Chris Melly. I think he's a standout.""



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