Choral teacher plans trip to see 'Idol' student

During the visit, he paid a special trip to Meredith Clayton's chorus class, where the two shared a hug.

“He got to sing with us, which is great, because we miss his voice so much,” Clayton said Monday.

Clayton said she was blown away when McCreery tackled a solo for his final exam one year.

“Phenomenal, as people are finding out on TV,” Clayton said.

Will Norris, one of McCreery’s classmates and best friends, said the teen is just a nice guy.

“You never hear a bad word out of the kid's mouth, and he deserves everything he's got,” Norris said.

Garner High's most famous student isn't just working hard on his music. He is also working on his education with the help of tutors, e-mail and Skype. He is currently on the honor roll.

McCreery has invited Clayton to fly to Los Angeles to attend the “American Idol” finale this week. Whether America selects McCreery or fellow country singer Lauren Alaina, Clayton said the Garner teen will be fine.

“I think he’s made it so far. I think he's got a career cut out for him,” she said.

Clayton has a connection to another “American Idol” contestant. Her mother is a choral teacher at Leesville Road High School and used to teach Clay Aiken, who finished second on Idol's second season.