Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Triston Harper of American Idol Season 22

Idol returned to ABC on Sunday, Feb. 18 with the judging trio of Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan back intact.

Here’s more about Triston.

* This young man from Alabama is likely to be among the best dressed and youngest (he’s just 15) of American Idol’s Season 22 contestants.

* Triston was just 12 in the spring of 2021 when he made the news for serenading his first-period middle school class.

* Decked out in a suit, Triston strummed guitar and sang Elvis Presley’s “That’s Alright.” A video of the performance was posted to Facebook and went viral.

* The attire wasn’t out of the ordinary for Triston, his grandmother Tami Greenlaw told the local TV station, saying he’d wear one every day if he had more.

* As for his song selection? Turns out Triston is a huge fan of Elvis. And of Johnny Cash. And of country, gospel, blues and music from the 1950s and 1960s.

* Not that he isn’t capable of taking current country. He won a talent show performing Jelly Roll’s “Son of a Sinner.” You can check out the performance below. And be sure to watch until the end for Triston’s unusual exit from the stage.

* Judging from his social media, Triston has been singing since he was very young. He taught himself to play guitar and also plays some piano.

* In spite of his young age, Triston has nearly 1,000 followers and nearly 2,500 likes on his TikTok.

* His bio segment on Idol reveals that he’s part of the Choctaw Indian tribe, grew up in McIntosh, Alabama and went through a rough patch between the ages of 11 and 12.

* His mother was in an abusive relationship and she and her son were forced to leave their home, winding up homeless at one point before being taken in by Triston’s granddad.

* Triston performed “Cover Me Up” by Jason Isbell on the show and got three yes votes for that golden ticket. Katy loved his authenticity and the talent he showed at such a young age.

Triston on social media:
Instagram
TikTok
Facebook
YouTube