American Idol is far from its heyday in the 2000s, when the nation’s first reality music contest created superstars like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. The latter is back as a judge for the 24th season of the show. Instead of getting a heavy dose of pop, one Kentucky native brought Bluegrass to the stage.
Landon Hughes is a Hazard native who is quite fond of pickin’ and grinnin’ in his free time. The 20-year-old plays soccer for Lake Erie College, but last spring he got sent to the sideline with an ankle injury. He told the Herald-Leader that’s when his hobby might’ve turned into something more.
“I had to sit down for a little bit,” said Hughes. “The only thing I really had was my guitar.”
He shared videos of his performances on social media. They grew so popular that an American Idol producer contacted him to be on the show. Hughes made his debut on national television last night and blew away the judges with a rendition of the Stanley Brothers’ “Little Maggie.”
American Idol is synonymous with pop music. Hughes’ Bluegrass style doesn’t exactly fit neatly into that genre, which made the judges initially skeptical. However, he did enough to win them over, advancing to the Hollywood round of the show.
He’s not the only Kentucky native to advance through the American Idol performing contest. Christian Brown, a Simpson County musician, punched his ticket to Hollywood earlier this season.
Best of luck to all the Kentuckians on American Idol. Make us proud.
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