Idol Chatter & Voice Views

His audition: Jesse Findling of Long Island, N.Y., performed “In the Stars” by Benson Boone. He immediately showed off a very nice tone. All three judges rose to their feet at the end of his audition and he received a unanimous golden ticket to Hollywood. Carrie Underwood predicted he could go far in the competition, complimenting him on a “beautiful voice” and his emotional connection to the song.

Here’s more about Jesse:

* He said he fell in love with singing because he stutters when he talks, but not when he sings.

* He says he’s struggled with stuttering since elementary school. It’s something he felt he needed to hide and something that kept him from raising his hand to answer questions in class.

* But he’s says he’s been involved in choirs throughout school, adding: “I’ve come a long way with it, it doesn’t hold me back.”

* He was 19 at the time of his Idol audition, but identifies himself as a 20-year-old singer and actor on TikTok, where he already has nearly 4,000 followers.

* He’s a graduate of Massapequa High School in New York and a sophomore at Binghamton University.

* Jesse announced his Idol audition in mid-November, writing: “This has been a dream of mine since I was little and getting to sing in front of @lionelrichie, @carrieunderwood and @lukebryan felt surreal.”

* You can spot Jesse in ABC’s promo clips for American Idol, so it’s a good bet that his audition went well.

* Jesse has two covers on TikTok with more than 100,000 views — “I Think I Like You Better When You’re Gone” by Renee Rapp and “Look After You” by The Fray. Check out the latter below.

* His TikTok also features two videos of Jesse singing in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris over the summer.

* He’s also been heavily involved in musical theater, both in high school at and college.

* His high school theatrical career included a virtual performance of “Little Shop of Horrors” during the pandemic in 2021. He played Mr. Mushnik, the flower shop owner.

* At Binghamton, he’s been involved in productions of “Anything Goes” and “The Cradle Will Rock.”

Jesse on social media:
Instagram
TikTok
Facebook
YouTube

@jessefindlingmusic Look After You- The Fray @The Fray #lookafteryou #thefray #cover #fyp #vir ♬ original sound – Jesse Findling