Dusting off his nerves at the door, Brajawn Upshaw strode confidently on set for his American Idol audition. Belting “Lovely” by Billie Eilish and Khalid, the 22-year-old sang his heart out for judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Carrie Underwood. During tonight’s (Sunday, March 16) episode, viewers will learn if Upshaw is headed to Hollywood or back home to Georgia. Here are three quick facts you should know about American Idol’s Brajawn Upshaw.
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1. He Works Night Shifts at the Post Office
When he isn’t competing on American Idol, Brajawn Upshaw works overnight shifts at a post office in Temple, Georgia, with his mother and younger brother.
Ahead of his audition, Carrie Underwood wanted to know if Upshaw found time to multitask at his job. “Do you, like, sing when you’re doing your night shift post office stuff?” the “Before He Cheats” singer asked.
“I do sing while I’m doing my night shift post office stuff,” Upshaw replied with a laugh.
2. ‘American Idol’ Wouldn’t Have Happened For Brajawn Upshaw Without His Mother
Although he first began singing in third grade, Brajawn Upshaw was adamant that he would not sign up for American Idol. So his mom, Tasha, did it for him.
“I’ve held myself back a lot because of the simple fact that I didn’t think I could do a lot,” Upshaw said in his audition video.
However, now that he’s there, the 22-year-old is dead set on clearing his path to Hollywood. “Coming out with a golden ticket is showing my mom that she was right,” Upshaw said.
A clearly devoted mother, Tasha accompanied her son to his audition. “I’m going to cheer you on all the way here like I’ve been doing,” she told him.
“Don’t be crying now,” her son replied. “We just got here.”
3. He Performed a Song For His Late Father
Sadly, Brajawn Upshaw appears to have lost his father about six years before his American Idol audition. An August 2019 post to his Instagram page shows a much-younger Upshaw dressed in black, singing behind a podium.
“I love you Dad and I finished the song,” he wrote. “I hope you heard it.”
Featured image by Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images
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