Thunderstorm Artis is wowing the judges once again. During the April 28 episode of American Idol, the singer perfectly performed “House of the Rising Sun” for the live crowd.
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As the theme of the night was “Iconic Idol Moments,” Artis’ performance was a nod to Haley Reinhart’s unforgettable time on stage in 2011.
The judges had nothing but praise for Artis.
“I think they said it for me,” Luke Bryan joked of the cheering crowd, before Lionel Richie stated, “You have a vibe that every time you do the right song, you put your vibe on it.”
“That was awesome,” Carrie Underwood agreed. “… That was amazing.”
It’s no surprise the judges lauded Artis. The night before, the singer made the season’s Top 12 when he performed “Fire and Rain” by the episode’s mentor, James Taylor. The legendary star offered his stamp of approval to Artis’ rendition, likely signaling big things ahead for the singer.
Thunderstorm Artis Discusses His American Idol Journey
In a recent chat with Billboard, Artis revealed he’s already learned some big lessons thanks to Idol.
“Don’t compare yourself. I’m not the most acrobatic singer. I don’t do fancy runs and sometimes I look at that as a handicap,” he said. “I want to tell a good story and communicate the importance of music and getting the opportunity to do that on a stage like this and see the response has really shown me that I have something special that the world loves and wants to see more of. No matter how much further I make it on the show, it’s going to empower me to try to grow my career to the next level.”
As for his hopes and dreams, Artis said he walks “through life with no expectations.”
“I live with this mentality that no one owes me anything,” he said. “I want to take the music as far and big as I can, not just for myself but for my kids and for my wife. If even one person is touched by what I do, then that’s enough.”
Photo by Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images
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