The 13 finalists for the "American Idol" crown begin their quest Tuesday, and Scott MacIntyre of Scottsdale, Ariz. will have his own cheering section in the central San Joaquin Valley. Turns out that he has a big extended family in Kingsburg, Selma and other local communities.

Family members will be gathering Tuesday evening at a Kingsburg home for the Top 13's first competition, in which the contestants have to sing a song from the Michael Jackson catalog.

His aunt, Christine Statton of Selma, is the sister of Scott's mother, Carole MacIntyre. Needless to say, Christine and the dozens of other relatives (who include great aunts, great uncles and second cousins) are thrilled by Scott's adventure in Idol land.

"We're having a lot of fun with," Christine says.

That includes dialing and re-dialing, texting and re-texting when it came time to vote last week, after Scott sang his rendition of "Mandolin Rain." Christine says that Scott has performed in our area in recent years, including several appearances at the First Baptist Church in Selma, where Christine's husband, Craig Statton, is the pastor.

Scott, who also plays the piano, has been a fan favorite since the audition shows were aired. His personal story is compelling: He has been almost completely blind since birth. He is a graduate of Arizona State University and began graduate studies at Cambridge University and the Royal College of Music in Great Britain.

Christine says that family members had encouraged him and his siblings to try out for the mega-popular show. That Scott has come this far has been a thrill. "We're just real happy. He is such a wonderful, kind, sweet, gentle young man. Just very loving and contented," says his aunt.

Scott has some tough competition ahead of him, although it helps that one observer feels the guys have the edge in Season 8. Guys like Danny Gokey, whose wife shortly before the AI auditions last year. On the gals' side, the standout so far is Lil Rounds.

We all find out on Wednesday night's show if Scott advances to next week.