Bowersox playing Marion Saturday to benefit Mentor 4 Kids

The director of Harrisburg-based Mentors 4 Kids wanted to set up a fundraising concert in southern Illinois, so the group looked up a phone number for singer Crystal Bowersox's representatives on the Internet.

"The next thing you know, we had a date," Executive Director Vickey Taake said. "I was screaming in the building when we got the contract figured out."

That date is Saturday, when Bowersox, a folk and country singer who placed second behind northern Illinoisan Lee DeWyze on Season 9 of "American Idol," performs at the Marion Cultural and Civic Center.

"That's awesome," Bowersox said of Taake's screams. "It's very, very flattering."

"I myself actually could have used a mentor or two growing up," she said.

Tickets remain for the 7 p.m. show. Country Financial has sponsored the event, so nearly all the proceeds will go to Mentors 4 Kids. The group helps pair youth with adults who can spend time with them in Jefferson, Franklin, Williamson, Saline, Gallatin and White counties.

Bowersox spoke during a telephone interview Thursday afternoon, and her comments are lightly edited.

Q: What can people expect at your show Saturday?

A: No matter how many people show up to a show, I always try to give them my best. I've been playing a lot of different kinds of gigs. Today we're in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and there will be a couple thousand people here. And then tomorrow we're playing a small venue and maybe it's 150. It's me and my three favorite musicians on the road in my soccer mom van.

Q: Do you do the driving?

A: I do most of the driving. I actually enjoy it. A lot of my song ideas come to me while I'm behind the wheel. I use the voice memo thing on my phone.

Q: How did it feel to see "Idol" end earlier this year?

A: I'll be honest, I didn't tune in, mostly because I have a 7-year-old and I'm working a lot. But that show has brought blessings to a lot of people's lives. It's the end of an era. And I don't honestly think it's the end forever. I think there will be some kind of comeback show. They won't be able to stay away for long.

Q: The blessings in your case are clear, right?

A: I run my own business. I am the boss, and I decide on how often I go on tour and who I get to play with and the venues. I haven't had to have a backup job, and I'm just really, really lucky.

Q: What do you hear from fans when you come out after your shows?

A: I wish I had a dollar for every time I've heard it: "You should have won." And, actually, I've started collecting. I'll tell folks, if you plan on saying "you should have won," write it on a bill and put it in this box. And for me, that's very, very special because I used to be a busker. A street performer. And that is how I put a roof over my head and fed myself. It was dollar by dollar by dollar. Now I can collect those dollar bills and donate them to charity.

Q: What charity?

Typically, it's JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). I'm Type 1 diabetic. But oftentimes I'll find a smaller organization that might need help a little bit more.

Q: Do you ever get tired of people reminding you that you didn't win?

A: People say you should have won. And I say, look at my life. I'm definitely winning. I went from being on the brink of homelessness all the time to not having to worry about that and being able to help other people and provide my son with stability. Second place ain't so bad.