Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Caleb Kennedy from American Idol Season 19

Here’s more about Caleb.

* He’s a 16-year-old country singer from Spartanburg, S.C., and Idol has already leaked his audition.

* You might say that audition went very well. Caleb auditioned with an original song called “Nowhere,” received high praise from all three judges and a unanimous “yes” to advance to the Hollywood round.

* The only bit of criticism from the judges: At the time, Caleb had only one verse to “Nowhere.” Katy Perry encouraged him to finish “Nowhere,” vowing that it will take him “somewhere.”

* Caleb might not have finished “Nowhere,” but he’s posted lots of other originals to his Instagram page. One called “My Roots” reflects on his Idol experience so far. Writes Caleb: “I couldn’t really find the words to say how I felt until I wrote this.”

* And another of the originals Caleb finished — “It’ll Catch Up with Me Someday” — is on streaming sites. Released in November, it’s Caleb’s debut single.

* A student at Dorman High School, Caleb told GoUpstate.com that he bought his first guitar three years ago with money he received for his 13th birthday.

* He told the site he’s written about 120 songs so far, drawing on his own life experiences and those of friends for inspiration.

* He told Idol that music helped him cope when his parents divorced and that his mom is usually the one who books his gigs.

* Because of COVID, his first Idol audition with the show’s producers occurred via Zoom. “It was one of those things that I wanted to do no matter the circumstances,” Caleb told Go Upstate. “It was a little awkward, but a great experience. I wouldn’t go back and change it if I could.”

* For someone so young, Caleb has already built an impressive following, with nearly 5,000 followers on Instagram and more than 4,000 on Facebook.

Caleb on social media:
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
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