American Idol
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Taylor Swift may have gotten “Kanye’d,” but she certainly wasn’t the only person performer who’s had her mic taken from her.
During a recent American Idol audition, contestant Amara Valerio revealed that she once had the mic stolen away from her during a performance — just like Kanye West‘s infamous interruption of Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the 2009 VMAs. But Idol hopeful got her revenge by nailing her tryout for judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan.
While introducing herself to the panel of judges, the 20-year-old hopeful recalled the time she was asked to sing the national anthem at her high school’s commencement ceremony. According to Valerio, things went wrong when, as she started to sing and another girl — wearing a graduation gown — yanked the microphone away from Valerio and declared, “This is my senior graduating class, and I would like to sing.”
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“She just pulled a Kanye West!” exclaimed Perry in disbelief after she and her co-judges watched video footage of the interruption.
“I got Kanye’d,” Valerio agreed.
One of the judges was particularly angry on Valerio’s behalf, and even demanded that the young singer name names. “I need that f–king name,” Bryan said, ready with a pen and notepad to write down the culprit’s moniker. “I got Navy SEALs …”
Instead of bringing in the authorities, however, the judges decided to ask Valerio to channel her rage into her audition song: Jazmine Sullivan’s “Bust Your Windows.”
The approach paid off. The judges immediately sent Valerio on to the next round after hearing her gorgeous vocals. And, after some prodding, they got the aspiring star to give up the first name of her own personal Kanye. “Sarah!” Perry yelled into the camera, addressing the interrupter directly. “You’re finished messing with our girl.”
Watch Amara Valerio get her sweet revenge on American Idol above.
Jennifer Hudson welcomed Paula Abdul to her eponymous talk show on Friday (March 3) to look back on their time together on season three of American Idol.
Of course, the first thing that comes to mind when thinking back to that early season was the shocking moment Hudson was eliminated in seventh place after finding herself in the bottom three with fellow frontrunners LaToya London and eventual winner Fantasia Barrino.
“Oh my goodness, that was a moment,” the OG Idol judge said. “When you were eliminated, it was like the whole world was pissed. That’s true! I’m sure they come up to you, I mean, people still talk to me about, ‘God, that night Jennifer Hudson was eliminated.’ I go, ‘I know!’”
However, the “Straight Up” singer also revealed some words of encouragement she shared with the Idol hopeful immediately after her controversial ousting. “It was on Entertainment Tonight, and I said you, ‘You know, I have a feeling some amazing things are gonna happen to you.’ ‘Member, I said, ‘People that need to win, win. And the people that don’t need to win end up winning big time.’ And you did.”
Abdul may or may not have psychic powers, considering Hudson has gone on to become the first and so far only Idol alum to reach EGOT status following her 2021 Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding interactive media for a daytime program, and 2022 Tony Award as a producer of A Strange Loop. (She previously won an Academy Award for portraying Effie White in 2006’s Dreamgirls, and has taken home two different Grammys over the years.)
Watch Hudson’s trip down memory lane with Abdul below.
Editor’s note: This story features descriptions of gun violence.
The early American Idol audition rounds are where America has met some of their favorite singers over the past two decades. Sometimes they’re not the best vocalists, but they have a certain spark, a twinkle in their eye or a story so intriguing that the judges have to lean in and learn more.
That was definitely the case on Sunday night (Feb. 26) when 21-year-old mattress salesman Trey Louis of Santa Fe, Texas charmed the judges with his calm, playful demeanor and an impressive, twangy run through Whiskey Myers’ 2018 hit “Stone.” Sure, his stories about the NSFW questions mattress shoppers ask him were funny and his vocals had gritty soul, but Louis had much more to say following his impressive performance.
After getting a standing ovation from judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan — with the latter calling Louis’ “perfect” — Bryan asked the singer why he was there. The first reason, Louis said, was because some of his favorite singers have stood on the very same star before the nation learned who they were.
The second, however, was more emotional and it brought Perry to angry tears. Louis noted again that he’s from Santa Fe, Texas, where in May 2018 he survived a mass shooting at Santa Fe High School during which a gunman killed eight students and two teachers. “[I] lost a lot of friends,” Louis said, noting he was in an art classroom when the shooter opened fire next door before making his way into the room Louis was in.
Getting choked up as the judges flashed looks of concern, Louis looked at the ground and said, “It’s just really been negative and Santa Fe’s had a bad rap since 2018.” Bryan’s voice cracked as he praised Louis’ vocals and big heart while Perry slumped forward, sobbing into her hands as Louis asked her what was going on.
“Our country has f–king failed us,” Perry shouted while poking her finger into the judge’s desk as Louis softly added “facts.”
“This is not okay,” Katy continued through tears. “You should be singing here because you love music, not because you had to go through that f–king bulls–t. You don’t have to lose eight friends. I hope that you remind people that we have to change. Cuz, you know, I’m scared too.”
As Bryan and Richie sympathetically reached out to rub Perry on the shoulders, Louis consoled her as well, saying, “it’s terrible, Katy, it’s horrible.”
Richie weighed in as well on the daily toll of mass shootings in the country, saying, “We have tolerated this for so long, for too long. It’s become the norm”; according to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been more than 80 mass shootings so far this year. Perry told Louis that she hoped he could be a leader to combat gun violence in the nation. It was, of course, a yes for Louis, who advanced to the next round after getting loving hugs from all three judges.
Watch Louis’ audition below.
Kya Monée’s 2023 American Idol audition, a heartfelt tribute to late contestant Willie Spence, made everyone in the room emotional on the show’s premiere Sunday night (Feb. 19).
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Spence, the Georgia singer who placed second on the 2021 season of American Idol, died in October 2022. He was only 23 years old.
“We grew a very, very close friendship … Losing Willie was just very, very hard for me,” Monée, a singer from Texas who performed a duet of Rihanna and Mikky Ekko’s “Stay” with Spence during Hollywood Week in 2021, said on Sunday’s Idol episode. “He passed in a tragic car accident and I’m still trying to cope with that.”
Through tears, she said, “Willie, he always told me, ‘No matter what, you’ll always be a singer.’ Three days before he passed, Willie was telling me, ‘You have to go back. You have to chase your dream. I’m gonna go with you to American Idol.’ He made me want to do it and I’d really love to make it further. But most of all, I wanna make Willie proud.”
“He was actually supposed to be here with me today for my audition,” Monée told judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. “It’s just very hard to not have that support anymore. But I know he would want me to be here … The song that I’m singing today is a song that we picked together. I’m singing ‘I’m Here’ from The Color Purple.”
Perry, Richie and Bryan were visibly moved by Monée’s performance of “I’m Here,” and agreed that the singer would be advancing on to the next round in the competition.
“That’s how you sing through crying,” Perry commented, leading the trio of judges in a standing ovation for Monée.
Richie wiped away his own tears, handed Monée a handkerchief and embraced her in a hug. “What you’ve given us was everything we’ve been trying to tell all of these kids,” he said. “That performance was so emotional, so heartfelt, so divinely guided in the glorious name of our dear brother Willie.”
“I’ve lost some people in my life. When you go to sing, you just sing like Willie’s still here,” Bryan noted.
“It was on another level. It was so connected to the pain, and everybody’s feeling this loss but we also feel connected together because you are authentic, just like he was,” Perry added.
Watch the moving performance from Monée below.
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Season 21 of American Idol premieres this Sunday (Feb. 19). Judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan and host Ryan Seacrest are returning for the new season along with a fresh group of contestants hoping for a shot at music stardom.
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Want to watch the season premiere, or binge some of the older episode? Keep reading for a breakdown of ways to watch and stream American Idol from anywhere.
American Idol Season 21 Schedule: When & How to Watch
What time does the new season of American Idol come on? The show will air Sundays at 8 p.m. on ABC.
Because American Idol is on network television, you can potentially watch with an HD antenna, but also through cable, satellite or a streaming subscription that has ABC.
Like other ABC shows, the new season of American Idol will stream live on ABC.com and the ABC app. If you have internet access, you can stream the show from just about anywhere (use ExpressVPN to stream internationally).
How to Watch American Idol on Hulu
Those who miss Sunday’s premiere can stream the episode on Hulu the next day. Not subscribed? Hulu’s most popular plan is $7.99/month after a free 30-day trial (the ad-free plan is $14.99/month).
Hulu $7.99/month after 30-day free trial
Stream network TV shows a day after they premiere on television, in addition to tons of movies and Hulu exclusives such as Only Murders in the Building, Wu-Tang: An American Saga, Still Morgan, How I Met Your Father, The Handmaid’s Tale, Welcome to Chippendales and The Kardashians.
Subscribers can add Starz, HBO Max and other channels to Hulu, create up to six profiles under one account and stream from up to two different screens at the same time.
Looking for live television? Hulu + Live TV gets you 85+ channels, Disney+ and ESPN+ for less than $75 a month. Hulu also offers student discounts, annual plans and bundle deals with Disney+ and ESPN.
Other Ways to Watch American Idol
Want more ways to watch American Idol? If you’ve been itching to getting rid of cable but don’t want to end up spending hundreds of dollars a month, Fubo, DirectTV Stream, YouTube TV, Verizon Fios and Vidgo are some of the affordable streaming options for cord cutters.
Get ready for dreams to come true next month when American Idol returns for its 21st season. In a Las Vegas-themed teaser tweet on Wednesday (Jan. 25), judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan were joined by host Ryan Seacrest as the quartet posed next to a giant slot machine to announce that the prime time singing competition will be back on your screens starting Feb. 19.
The ABC series promo promises “the best is yet to come” and in her twist on the announcement, Perry — who, of course, is in the midst of her Vegas “Play” residency — wrote, “American Idol has been making dreams come true for 21 years, you think we’re not gonna go BIG?!” alongside slot machine, music note and dice emoji.
The 2022 season was won by Kentucky country singer Noah Thompson, who beat out runner-up HunterGirl. Thompson, who said he ended up on the show because a friend signed him up, posted a tribute to the viewers who supported him following his win, writing, “Had a hard time making this post because I truly couldn’t find the words to say.. I was In complete shock in this moment and I still am and I probably always will be! Thank you all for giving me this opportunity, thank you for everyone who voted, thank you guys so much for everything!! I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you all so thank you guys so so much. I’m looking forward to continuing this journey and seeing where this thing goes. Love all of you all.”
Thompson’s just dropped the video for his new single, “Make You Rich,” this week.
Check out the Idol teasers below.
American Idol has been making dreams come true for 21 years, you think we’re not gonna go BIG?! 🎰🎶 Roll the 🎲 with us, the season premiere is Feb. 19 on ABC! ✨ pic.twitter.com/3lQlGWKjcJ— KATY PERRY (@katyperry) January 25, 2023
C.J. Harris’ cause of death was made public on Thursday (Jan. 19), less than a week after his sudden and tragic passing.
The singer died at just 31-years-old after suffering a heart attack on Sunday (Jan. 15), according to reporting by People. (Billboard has reached out to the Walker County Coroner’s Office in Harris’ native Alabama for confirmation.)
Harris first made waves across the nation by competing on Season 13 of American Idol in 2014, when he auditioned for judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and newcomer Harry Connick Jr. with a cover of “Soulshine” by The Allman Brothers Band. After earning his golden ticket, he progressed through Hollywood week and the semifinals to become one of the three Wild Card contenders to make the season’s crop of 13 finalists.
During the live shows, Harris often performed with his trusty guitar, churning out country-soul covers of Darius Rucker’s “Radio,” “Can’t You See” by Toy Caldwell of The Marshall Tucker Band, Hunter Hayes’ “Invisible,” The SteelDrivers’ “If It Hadn’t Been For Love” and more. Eventually, he was eliminated in sixth place behind eventual winner Caleb Johnson, runner-up Jena Irene and fellow finalists Alex Preston, Jessica Meuse and Sam Woolf.
Following his stint on Idol, Harris embarked on the post-season American Idols LIVE! Tour 2014 with the rest of the top 10 and even duetted with Rucker — one of his major inspirations — at the Grand Ole Opry. In 2016, the singer faced legal troubles after being arrested in a drug bust in Walker, Ala., where he was charged with three counts of alleged felony distribution of a controlled substance, including oxycodone and marijuana. His debut single, “In Love” was released in 2019, and just weeks before his death he hinted at new music he was planning to release later this year.
C.J. Harris, a singer who competed on the 2014 season of American Idol, died Sunday at age 31.
The Jasper, Alabama, native was reportedly rushed to a local hospital after suffering a medical emergency, according to Variety, and the Walker County Coroner’s Office later confirmed his death. However, no other details, including cause of death, were given as of press time.
Harris competed on season 13 of the singing competition, initially auditioning for judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. in Salt Lake City with a rendition of The Allman Brothers Band’s “Soulshine.” After making it through the Hollywood round, the hopeful was voted a Wild Card by the public in the semifinals and earned his way into the live shows with a soulful performance of Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home to Me.”
Some of Harris’ most memorable musical numbers during season 13’s live shows included “Radio” by Darius Rucker, Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’” and both “Waiting on the World to Change” and “Gravity” from John Mayer’s 2006 album Continuum. Eventually, the guitarist came in sixth place, being eliminated during Rock ‘n’ Roll / Country Week with dual performances of the Guess Who’s “American Woman” and Zac Brown Band’s “Whatever It Is.”
Harris toured with the rest of the season 13 finalists after Caleb Johnson was crowned that year’s winner over runner-up Jena Irene, and he released his debut single, titled “In Love,” back in 2019. Just weeks ago, Harris kicked off the new year by promising new music was “coming soon” with a smiling selfie on his Facebook page.
The American Idol Instagram account shared a Stories tribute to the late singer on Monday (Jan. 16), writing, “C.J. Harris was an incredible talent, and the news of his passing deeply saddens us. He will be truly missed.”
American Idol has lost one of its brightest contestants, and the show and its judges are speaking out about Willie Spence’s death.
The general American Idol account Instagram shared a video from his audition with Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan and Katy Perry. “We are devastated about the passing of our beloved American Idol family member, Willie Spence,” the show’s account captioned the video of the runner-up for the 2021 season. “He was a true talent who lit up every room he entered and will be deeply missed. We send our condolences to his loved ones.”
Idol also shared its condolence post to Twitter, which Bryan replied to with his deepest sympathies. “Willie really did light up every room he walked into. He could change the mood instantly when he started singing. He will truly be missed,” the country singer wrote.
Richie also shared his sadness and posted a video of the late star performing Adele’s “Set Fire to the Rain” on American Idol. “Your light will always shine in this world. We were so blessed to get a chance to see you shine,” he captioned the video. “My thoughts and prayers are with Willie’s family. Rest well my friend.”
Perry acknowledged Spence’s passing on Instagram as well, sharing Idol‘s Instagram post to her Story, and responding to the show’s post in the comments. “I love you Willie… purest soul,” she wrote. “Sing with the angels my darling.”
Host Ryan Seacrest also addressed the loss. Like the “Firework” singer, he also shared the show’s post, this time on Twitter. “Everybody on and off set loved him,” he tweeted. “@Williespence you’ll be deeply missed.”
Idol alum Katharine McPhee-Foster first shared the news of Spence’s death via an Instagram Story on Tuesday, and revealed the 23-year-old singer had died in a car accident.
See the Idol cast’s reactions to Spence’s death below.
We are devastated about the passing of our beloved American Idol family member, Willie Spence. He was a true talent who lit up every room he entered and will be deeply missed. We send our condolences to his loved ones. pic.twitter.com/QWrWqf7qQN— American Idol (@AmericanIdol) October 12, 2022
Willie really did light up every room he walked into. He could change the mood instantly when he started singing. He will truly be missed. https://t.co/XTqm65UJu0— Luke Bryan (@lukebryan) October 12, 2022
Willie Spence marked second place during his run on the 2021 season of American Idol. Still, he was known as one of the most notable singers to come out of the show with powerhouse covers from artists that include Rihanna, Beyonce, Adele, Coldplay and more.
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Unfortunately, the 23-year-old lost his life in a car accident while driving back to Atlanta from Tennessee on Tuesday (Oct. 12). He reportedly crashed into a tractor-trailer parked on the side of the road, TMZ reported. However, it was local news site Douglas Now that was first to report the news about the crash.
The news was also shared by his fellow Idol alum Katharine McPhee-Foster, who took to her Instagram story on Tuesday (Oct. 11) to share her condolences. “Only 23 years old. Life is so unfair, and nothing is ever promised,” she wrote. “God rest your soul Willie. It was a pleasure to sing with you and to know you.”
McPhee and Spence rocked the Idol house during a duet of Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli’s “The Prayer” during season 19.
Additionally, Idol paid tribute to Spence by posting a video featuring the singer’s audition with the message: “We are devastated about the passing of our beloved American Idol family member, Willie Spence. He was a true talent who lit up every room he entered and will be deeply missed. We send our condolences to his loved ones.”
In honor of Spence’s life and legacy, Billboard put together a list of his rocking performances during his time on Idol. Check them out below.
“Diamonds,” Rihanna
“Stay,” Rihanna ft. Mikky Ekko
“Glory,” Common & John Legend
“Stand Up,” Harriet
“I Was Here,” Beyoncé
“Set Fire To The Rain,” Adele
“Stand Up,” Cynthia Ervio
“Wind Beneath My Wings,” Bette Midler
“A Change Is Gonna Come,” Sam Cooke
“Circle of Life,” The Lion King
“Diamonds,” Rihanna
“Rather Be,” Clean Bandit & Jess Glynne
“Yellow,” Coldplay
“What They’ll Say About Us,” FINNEAS
“Never Be Alone,” Willie Spence
“You Are The Reason,” Leona Lewis & Calum Scott
“Georgia on My Mind,” Ray Charles
“You Are So Beautiful,” Joe Cocker