Watch Kentucky native Noah Thompson showcase his twang to advance on ‘American Idol’

Pushed into auditioning for “American Idol” by his friends, Kentucky native Noah Thompson couldn’t believe what the show’s judges said about his musical talent.

The 19-year-old from Lawrence County made his debut on “Idol” on Sunday, Feb. 27, for the show’s season premiere. He told the Lexington Herald-Leader in an interview last week he was “completely” against the idea of auditioning, but the judges saw what Thompson’s friends did in the singer.

Thompson sang “Giving You Up” by Kameron Marlowe, a former contestant on “The Voice.” He showed off his southern twang, but he was interrupted near the end of his performance by judge Luke Bryan.

“Alright, Noah. I don’t want to touch your accent,” he began. “I don’t want to touch it— but be a little more deliberate with the lyrics.”

Thompson again sang the chorus, to which Bryan called “perfect.”

It was Lionel Richie who gave Thompson the ultimate compliment.

“You’ve got a real life storytelling bada-- voice. It’s believable,” the judge told Thompson.

Thompson replied with a smile, “Wasn’t expecting that.”

The friend who forced Thompson to audition, Arthur, was brought in by the show’s judges to hear the good news. Thompson received a “yes” from all three judges to move on to the next round of the show.

“You are the American dream,” the third judge, Katy Perry, told Thompson.

“Thank you, Arthur, for seeing him better than he could see himself,” she told his friend.

Thompson told the Herald-Leader he listens to many different genres of music, but country is his favorite. His favorite musician is Chris Stapleton, another Kentucky native.

Music “was something that I fell in love with,” Thompson told the Herald-Leader. “My whole life, it was kind of a dream.”

This story was originally published February 28, 2022 at 8:21 AM with the headline "Watch Kentucky native Noah Thompson showcase his twang to advance on ‘American Idol’."