Top 30 verdict is in for South MS singer Daniel Stallworth on ‘American Idol’

Daniel Stallworth is Stayin’ Alive.

The Moss Point native, who has taken South Mississippi by storm, advanced to the next round on “American Idol” after another riveting performance.

Stallworth sang “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King during an episode branded as “Hollywood Week in Nashville - Part 2,” a series of two shows where the talent pool was cut from 127 to 30 singers. The show’s three judges, who all had glowing reviews of Stallworth’s audition, each stood and applauded after he finished.

“To take a song that we’ve heard so many times and just take it to the rafters of this place, you are a truly special person,” said country music superstar Luke Bryan.

In clips from an interview with Stallworth, the 27-year-old teacher spoke about the judges’ reactions to his audition, saying “I didn’t really expect them to react the way that they did. It made me feel like I can believe that I’m a star.”

Stallworth also added that he wasn’t used to performing on a stage that big. Having survived a second cut, he advanced to an even bigger stage, a performance that will determine if he survives when the judges whittle the group of singers from 30 to 20. According to ABC, next week’s show will include performances from a Disney resort and Spa in Hawai’i, where hopefuls “take the stage in an all-new round to perform for their own families, industry tastemakers, and their fellow hopefuls.”

This story was originally published March 2, 2026 at 8:32 PM.