Kolbi Jordan reacts when Lionel Richie gets Patti Labelle on the phone for her on American Idol. (ABC Photo)
American Idol kicked off Season 23 with an impressive array of talent Sunday night.
Fans of the show got to meet Kolbi Jordan, the first platinum ticket recipient of the new season, and a bunch of other singers bound for Hollywood.
That includes three singers who earned spots on the show with original songs. They included Baylee Littrell, Pat Johnson and show-closer Slater Nalley.
Here’s Idol Chatter’s recap with picks for the best performances of the night. I’ve included videos in cases where Idol has made them available.
Follow the links to learn more about the singers, including music they’ve already released.
BEST OF THE NIGHT
Kolbi Jordan 26, Tulsa, Okla., “Epiphany”: She works in human relations for a dental company. And she has a big personality to go with her big voice. And you can hear the gospel in her vocals. She slayed the Idol stage with all sorts of vocal acrobatics. Carrie called her performance “dynamics within dynamics.” Lionel called her voice “crazy great” and loved her personality as well. She breezed to Hollywood with 3 yes votes. And got to talk on the phone to one of her musical inspirations, Patti LaBelle. Later in the episode, we learn she’s one of the Season 23 platinum ticket recipients.
Baylee Littrell 21, Atlanta, Ga., “Waiting on Myself to Die” (an original): He’s the son of Brian Littrell from the Backstreet Boys, meaning he’s been around music his entire life. He calls following in his dad’s footsteps “scary.” He delivers a really impressive original. Carrie says “you’re really good.” She liked the way he delivered emotionally and said she thinks he could go very far in the competition. Then Luke summons his dad to sing the chorus of that original with Baylee. He breezes to Hollywood on three yes votes.
Slater Nalley 17, Atlanta, Ga., “Traces of You” (an original): He wrote the song about Carter Davis, the son of his English teacher, who was murdered along with a friend in 2016. Slater displayed a powerful, slightly raspy country voice on the song, bringing Carrie and Mrs. Davis to tears. The ending was especially powerful. Carrie said she couldn’t have imagined Slater doing the song any better. Luke and Lionel were equally impressed. The judges didn’t even bother voting before giving Slater a unanimous golden ticket.
Gabby Simone 22, Baltimore, Md., “Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin: She’s appeared on the Jennifer Hudson show and says Jennifer encouraged her to try American Idol. Gabby has a really nice tone and looks the part of a star. There’s power in that voice too. The performance got a bit shouty toward the end, but Gabby’s got tons of potential and delivered one heck of an ending. Her performance got all three judges to her feet. Luke said she has a little “star thing” going on, and a “big star thing” going on when she sings. Carrie and Lionel were both blown away by her performance.
Crews Wright 17, Samson, Ala., “Fireman” by George Strait: He’s a high school student and he’s got a down-home country voice. He’s also showed off nice performance skills for someone so young. This guy certainly isn’t shy. He invites Luke Bryan to the stage to sing a bit of the song with him. The judges, clearly enamored with Crews’ vocal ability and his personality, don’t even waste time voting. They just hand Crews a golden ticket.
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ALSO MADE THE SHOW
Breanna Nix 25, Denton, Texas, “Jesus Take the Wheel” by Carrie Underwood: She’s a stay-at-home mom who once weighed 315 pounds and went on a weight-loss journey after having her son Emerson. With her husband Austin accompanying her on piano and Emerson sitting in Carrie’s lap, Brenna delivered a powerful cover of the song. She’s got a powerful voice with a great little lilt. Luke said she did a great job. Carrie said it was an honor to hear Breanna sing her song. Breanna is a unanimous yes for Hollywood.
Abi Bowen, 24, Blountville, Tenn., “I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt: She says she’s been watching Idol as long as she can remembered by was always too scared to audition. She calls auditioning for Idol the “craziest thing” she’s done in her life. She puts on sunglasses and sings facing away from the judges. She has a sweet tone. And sings with lots of emotion. She’s surprised when she opens her eyes and finds the judges have moved so she’s facing them. Lionel said she’s “got the goods” if she can overcome her lack of confidence.
Isaiah Misailegalu 17, Las Vegas, Nevada, “Song for You” by Donny Hathaway: He plays football and volleyball in high school and says he’s just started gigging in the last year. He displays a nice tone and delivers “Samoan smooth,” according to Luke Bryan. Carrie can’t believe he’s so inexperienced. Lionel loved the way he made the song his own. All three judges voted to advance him to Hollywood.
Pat Johnson 25, Stratford, New Jersey, “Need It”: He says he’s been a fan of American Idol since he was 5 years old. And since he considers himself an Idol superfan, he’s called upon to play a game of trivia. They’re all Carrie Underwood related questions and Carrie is his opponent, so he really doesn’t stand a chance. He fairs better in the eyes of the judges with his original song. Pat fronts an alt-rock band that’s released lots of music, so follow the link to learn about that. Luke says he has a cool vibe and spirit. Carrie is impressed with his voice. He makes it to Hollywood on a 2-1 vote, with Carrie casting the deciding vote in his favor.
Che Chesterman, 28, Essex, England, “Mirror” by Madison Ryann Ward: Carrie wants to see more fire but said he can do amazing things with his voice. A former standout on The Voice UK, he got three yeses to advance to Hollywood.
Ian Ward 28, San Diego, Calif., “I Want to Know What Love Is” by Foreigner: Luke complimented him on a crazy big voice, but said it’s very theatrical. He got yeses from all three judges.
Kam’Ron Smith, 21, Rocky Mount, Va., “Pickup Man” by Joe Diffie: He displayed an impressive country voice. Carrie loved the way he made it his own. Lionel loved the character in his voice.
Insite, 18, Naples, Fla., “Freak on a Leash” by Korn: He teaches at the school of rock, rocks out on the Idol stage and even gets Carrie to join him for a second song. All three judges vote yes for Insite to head to Hollywood.
Lillie Zitlaly Rhoden, 20, Meridian, Miss., “Rebel Yell” by Billy Idol: She showed off an impressive growl in the short snippet of her audition we saw. Lionel voted yes, Luke voted no and Carrie gave her the yes she needed to make Hollywood.
Shane Dan Turner 28, Far Rockaway, N.Y.: We heard just a couple lines of his audition. Luke voted yes, saying he’s “all in.” Lionel voted no. Carrie, again, break the tie, sending Shane to Hollywood.
Baylee Littrell listens to feedback from the judges flanked by his dad, Backstreet Boys member Brian Littrell on American Idol. (ABC Photo)
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