Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Her audition: Rae Boyd, 24, of Frederick, Md., performed “A Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin: Opening the final audition show, Rae displayed a big voice on this classic. She has vocal firepower to spare. She also showed off great range. The judges were clearly pleased with what they heard. Luke said he can’t believe she didn’t audition earlier, adding that she did a lot of amazing things vocally. Lionel Richie called her audition “brilliant” and said he loved the way she made the song her own.

Here’s more about Rae:

* She told the judges she’s an “American Idol super fan” and elaborated on that during her bio segment. When she was growing up, Rae said “The season finale of American Idol was like Christmas. I couldn’t sleep the night before.”

* But while she always dreamed of auditioning and called finally appearing before the judges “a dream come true,” Season 24 marked the first time she tried out.

* She told the Frederick News Post that she was performing at a nearly empty bar in Las Vegas last year. It was the final night of her gig there.

* That’s when an American Idol producer approached her and suggested she audition. The invite came after the producer heard Rae cover “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” from Dreamgirls.

* “Before American Idol, I was just working so hard just for, like, something,” she told the News Post. “I was just working in every restaurant, every bar, every casino, just to find someone to just discover me and who believed in me, and it happened.”

* She refers to the same in a recent TikTok, writing: “Let it happen … I’ve repeated that to myself over and over again, when I’m tired, when I’m anxious for the next step, when life is uncertain. I’m so glad I did.”

* A 2019 graduate of Walkersville High School, Rae says she’s been performing for years, including in pageants and musical theater.

* Her audition was special for reasons beyond the golden ticket and praise she received from judges. Her father Gerald was able to attend.

* He suffered a stroke last year and spent weeks in intensive care. But Rae’s audition ended with her and her dad celebrating her golden ticket. “My little princess is going to be the next American Idol,” he said as the clip ended.

* Rae, who now lives in Towson, Md., celebrated the airing of her Idol audition with not one, but two watch parties, one at the Shuck N Shack in Frederick and one at the Admirals Cup bar and restaurant in Baltimore, Md.

Rae on social media:
Instagram
TikTok
Facebook
YouTube