Minneapolis ‘Idol’ Contestant: The Navy’s Jarrod Fowler

American Idol premiered to its biggest ever audience last night with 37.3 million, but just one contestant managed to leave the biggest impression, serviceman Jarrod Fowler.

The Navy recruit turned up at the Minneapolis auditions with a special backstory. He had been sent there, on orders from the US military.

Access Hollywood was present at the auditions, which took place in September 2006. There, he told us why the Navy sent him to wait in line for the show.

?I?m a member of the crew of the USS Ronald Regan and while we were out in the Gulf we filmed our own version of ?American Idol,?? he recounted to Access? cameras. ?[We] called it ?Regan Idol? and I subsequently won our show and they?re sending me here.?

That?s right, after winning the Navy carrier?s own version of ?Idol,? he was flown out to compete.

?I?m on special orders and Target Center in Minneapolis is my next command [center] for the next four days,? he recounted to our crew. ?It?s an order, order. They can actually punish me for not being here. It?s official.?

Before leaving us for the audition room Fowler gave us an impromptu 20 seconds of a song. His choice? ?Faithfully? by ?70s power balladeers, Journey.

He gave our crew chills with the rendition. No wonder he?s been sent on to the Hollywood round.

Access: Jarrod Fowler