Every so often, a future star appears in the early stages of American Idol but doesn’t make it to the live shows. From Alan Richson to Tori Kelly, not being crowned the winner of American Idol doesn’t mean you can’t find success. In the recent era of American Idol, one big-name music star appeared on the show but departed early — on their own accord. That star is Benson Boone.
As one of the rising stars in the music industry, Benson Boone first came to prominence when he appeared on American Idol. At 18 years old, Boone began his music journey on Season 19 of the popular singing competition. Having one year of singing experience prior to his audition, judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie were dazzled by the confident singer. But the “Beautiful Things” singer knew he didn’t need the exposure and the stigma of reality television for him to be a star.
‘American Idol’ Judges Immediately Saw Benson Boone’s Potential
The year was 2021. His name was Benson Boone, an 18-year-old from Monroe, Washington. At the start of his judges’ interrogation, Luke Bryan asked Boone why he wanted to audition for American Idol. His answer was shocking, as Boone shared with the judges that he didn’t know he could sing. In his audition, he noted, “I didn’t know I could sing before a year ago. I don’t know where it came from. It’s become a really big passion of mine really quickly.” The TikTok star joked about thirst traps and such. He walked over to the piano and asked the judges if he was too close to the microphone as he had never used one before. Yet, when he hit the keys on the piano and the notes soared out of his mouth, the judges knew a star was born.
