Over the years, fans and judges of American Idol watched as artists from all over the country hoped to gain a ticket to Hollywood. And with each new contestant, they showcase not just their talents but their taste in music. Some perform rock while others decide to use their own original song to hopefully impress the judges. But for Quintavious Johnson, he decided to take the judges to church with his cover of CeCe Winans’s “Alabaster Box.” And his performance even left Katy Perry wanting to find her way back to the choir.
Videos by American Songwriter
Holding nothing back during his audition, Johnson proved himself to be a top talent as he filled the room with his astonishing voice. After finishing the song, Perry admitted, “I might even revert with that song.” Giving him some feedback, she added, “When someone comes in and says ‘I’m a worship singer and that’s my job,’ we get nervous because they usually check an obvious box, but you gave us everything in that one song, which is fantastic. There was a whole healing. There was a whole baptism for everyone.”
As for Richie, who gave Johnson a yes, he continued the praise, noting, “What you gave us today was just inspiring, but more important, you feel every note. Great performance.”
Katy Perry Offers Advice To ‘American Idol’ Contestant
While Johnson ultimately received a golden ticket to Hollywood, Perry took a moment to give him some advice moving forward. Although giving a dazzling performance, she said, “You’re good at this. It’s not always a card you could play. You’ve got to be a Jack of all trades in this competition. Find some more aces up your sleeve, which I’m sure you can with that voice, so it’s a yes for me.”
[RELATED: 3 Stars Who Were Rejected by ‘American Idol’]
Looking at what fans had to say about Johnson’s audition, they also showered him with praise, writing, “You are not picking ‘Alabaster Box’ unless you are really about to sing DOWN!! That man sing with all the soul and vulnerability he could! He may be my favorite singer so far. I literally started crying halfway through. He hit one run and the tears came flowing! Wow.” Another person added, “I love that song when Cici Winans sings it but this time I heard that song in a whole new way. Excellent audition.”
Be sure to tune in to American Idol, airing Sunday at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
(Quintavious Has a Big Voice & Soul Singing “Alabaster Box” by CeCe Winans – American Idol 2024, n.d.)
