Once, as a little girl, she walked up to a leather-decked "Harley dude" getting popcorn at a gas station and, much to her mother's distress, asked him for a handful.
So Adair isn't bemoaning the lack of privacy that comes with being a local celebrity in a small town. In fact, she's relishing it.
After placing first out of almost 1,500 contestants for the "super-champion" title last month, Adair is guaranteed a 30-second audition in front of the "American Idol" judges for the show's fifth season, which is due to air next year.
And that, Adair said, will be her big break.
A 17-year-old senior at Corvallis High School, she had almost written off her childhood dream of becoming a famous singer.
But after surviving four rounds of online elimination - and coming out on top - Adair now has a better chance than most to wow the "American Idol" judges with her singing prowess.
Along with 11 other singers who won the monthly competition, Adair gets to cut to the front of the line when producers hold the next set of auditions for the television show.
That is a big deal, said Adair, because people camp out for nights in advance to try and secure good places in line for the audition. And many people don't get a chance to go before the judges at all.
Adair said her friends have always told her she should try out for the show, but she never seriously entertained the idea until she heard of another local girl who was giving it a try.
A trip to Target and $20 later, Adair had her "American Idol kit" and was ready to get going.
The kit is like a karaoke machine that plugs into a computer - with software that uploads finished songs onto the Internet where other people can listen to them and cast their votes.
Adair sang "I Turn to You" by Christina Aguilera and "There You'll Be" by Faith Hill into her computer for her entry, and ultimately brought in the first-place title with the Faith Hill song.
Mimicking songs by her favorite female artists is nothing new to Adair, who always sings while she's working as a shift manager at the McDonald's restaurant in Hamilton and while she's doing housework in her Corvallis home.
Adair, who also plays flute, has made music a part of her life for as long as she can remember. She took time off from choir during her freshman year, but couldn't stay away. Now she's in the high school choir and in the Ovation Choir, which is like the varsity singing team.
"I have a lot of fun singing," she said.
Part of the reason the "American Idol" competition is important, said Adair, is so she has a chance to make a career out of something she loves.
"I'm looking forward to the chance to compete, not necessarily to win, but to get my voice out there," she said. "Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to sing."
Adair said her whole family has been excited about her opportunity to pursue her dreams, especially her aunt, who hung posters and called media outlets to rally residents to get online and vote for her.
Her aunt's efforts may have made the difference in Adair's winning the title; she jumped from eighth place to first place in three days. She didn't find out the results until New Year's Day, but there was no doubt in her aunt's mind that her niece won.
"She was sure," Adair said. "I don't know how, but she was sure."
Her aunt, Laurie Bentley of Hamilton, said she read online comments from voters praising Adair's voice and watched her niece bypass 1,500 other people. It's a glimmer of hope, she said, after years of wondering how a small-town girl like Adair could get discovered.
"It touches our hearts and it touches our souls," Bentley said. "It's something we all wanted for her. It's perfect for her."
The support at home, and her confidence in her ability to sing, have helped Adair to ward off any stage fright about the upcoming audition. At least for now.
She's looking forward to meeting "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul, and has braced herself for constructive criticism from judge Simon Cowell, who is notorious for leveling criticism strong enough to make viewers themselves shrivel.
Adair said her goal is to impress Cowell with her voice, and that her only fear is of him making a comment about her height.
"I'm 5-foot and I'm not growing any," she said.
The fourth season of "American Idol" begins on Tuesday. The fifth season, for which Adair is auditioning, will air in January 2006.
Chelsea DeWeese is a reporting intern at the Missoulian and a journalism student at the University of Montana.
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