On Monday night, American Idol hosted its “Ohana round,” in which the contestants were cut from 30 to 20.
For last night’s show, a new voting system was utilized. Three groups—the contestants themselves, family/friends (known as the Ohana group), and industry experts (which included local Grand Ole Opry host Kelly Sutton) each voted to award one artist a Platinum Ticket for a guaranteed spot in the Top 20.
The remaining selection was made by the judges, Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Bryan.
Murfreesboro resident Jordan McCollough was the first to receive a platinum ticket from his fellow Idol contestants and the first to perform. His song choice was “Grandma’s Hands” by Bill Withers. At the end of his performance, McCollough had all of the judges out of their chairs. Richie said, “I don’t know what happened to you in Hawaii, but let the congregation say, ‘Amen.’ You delivered, that was fantastic.”
Gallatin teen, Lucas Leon, performed a Miranda Lambert song, “The House that Built Me,” and played guitar. His performance solidified his command of country music. Underwood shared at the end of his performance, “You’re so in control of your instrument, it’s kinda mind blowing, you have a really beautiful sweet spot that draws everybody in.” Leon made it to the top 20 contestants.
Top 20 contestants
Abayomi, 16
San Francisco, CA
High School Student
“Rise Up” by Andra Day
Braden Ramfelt, 22
Murphy, NY
Substitute Teacher
“If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys
Brooks, 22
Bel Air, MD
Dementia Care Medication Tech
“Everywhere Everything” by Noah Kahan
Chris Tungseth, 27
Fergus Falls, MN
Construction Tradesman
“Iris” by Goo Goo Dolls
Daniel Stallworth, 27
Moss Point, MS
Elementary Music Teacher
“The Climb” by Miley Cyrus
Genevieve Heyward, 26
Lake Geneva, WI
Musician
“Your Song” by Elton John
Hannah Harper, 25
Willow Springs, MO
Stay-at-Home Mom
“Go Rest High on that Mountain” by Vince Gill
Jake Thistle, 21
Paramus, NJ
Singer-Songwriter“Sleep On Me” by Jake Thistle
Jesse Findling, 19
Massapequa Park, NY
College Student
“Photograph” by Ed Sheeran
Jordan McCullough, 27
Murfreesboro, TN
Worship Director
“Grandma’s Hands” by Bill Withers
Julián Kalel, 19
El Paso, TX
College Student
“Surrender” by Julián Kalel
Keyla Richardson, 29
Pensacola, FL
Music Teacher
“A Thousand Years”by Christina Perri
Kutter Bradley, 29
Florence, AL
Fire Protection Worker
“Amarillo Sky” by Jason Aldean
Kyndal Inskeep, 29
Fishers, IN
Singer-Songwriter
“Woman of Me” by Kyndal
Lucas Leon, 17
Gallatin, TN
High School Student
“The House that Built Me” by Miranda Lambert
Madison Moon, 21
Orlando, FL
Musician
“Faithfully” by Journey
Makiyah, 24
Pinebluff, AK
Assistant Branch Bank Manager“Stand Up” by Cynthia Erivo
Philmon Lee, 25
LaGrange, GA
Insurance Agent
“All I Want” by Kodaline
Rae, 24
Frederick, MD
Musician
“I’ll Be There” by The Jackson 5
Ruby Rae, 16
Pacific Palisades, CA
High School Student
“Till Forever Falls Apart” by Ashe & FINNEAS
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