Congratulations and Good Luck to FOX 50 Idol Audition Grand Prize Winner Mark Beasley

Cedar Grove's Mark Beasley won a priority audition for American Idol.

FOX 50 congratulates 28-year-old Mark Beasley of Cedar Grove as the grand prize winner of the FOX 50 Idol Audition.

Beasley was selected by the FOX 50 Idol Audition judges based on his vocal quality and stage presence during round 2 of the FOX 50 Idol Audition on Thursday, September 2, 2004..

As the grand prize winner, he'll fly to Las Vegas to audition for the producers of "American Idol." The grand prize includes airfare, hotel accommodations and a scholarship from Barbizon of Raleigh.

Round 2 of the FOX 50 Idol Audition wrapped up Thursday with a special concert event at the American Tobacco Historic District Pavilion. More than a thousand spectators came out for the free concert and to cheer on their favorite contestants. Forty-nine contestants had up to one minute on stage for their chance to impress the contest judges.

The audition event was hosted by Mix 101.5's Jim Kelly. Judges included: WRAL News on FOX 50 Anchor Debra Morgan, FOXY 107-104 Afternoon DJ Cy Young, Mix 101.5's Operations and Program Director Joe Wade Formicola, and Performance Edge Music Director Lisa Blair.

"American Idol" returns to FOX 50 in January 2005.

Thanks to FOX50's Christine Van Cott for this capcom story & FOX50's Gayle Hardy for this capcom photo.