Watch Charlotte singer wow ‘American Idol’ judges with this Elton John song
A local singer is back in the spotlight in hopes of becoming the next “American Idol.”
Only 24 aspiring stars are left in the hit singing competition, including 24-year-old Josh King from the Charlotte area.
In back-to-back episodes Sunday and Monday night, he and the other remaining contestants took the stage at Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii to kick off the start of nationwide voting.
Spoiler alert: He crushed it. So much so that “Idol” judge Luke Bryan was jumping in his chair.
From Hollywood Week to Hawaii
Following his last duet performance during Hollywood, the local singer and musician hit the stage singing an Elton John classic, “I’m Still Standing” — a song he said felt like a personal message at this point in the competition.
“The head-to-head challenge was a nightmare,” he said when reflecting on last week’s performance. “It was like a train wreck. You know, you’re running on two hours of sleep at most.”
Despite wowing the judges in his previous duet performance, he told mentors Josh Groban and Jelly Roll that he was “freaking out.” Going into Monday night, he still had a bit of nerves but his singing skills (and surprise harmonica solo) brought the whole crowd, including the judges, to their feet.
What ‘Idol’ judges said about Josh King
Here’s a snippet of some of their reactions:
Luke Bryan: “You’re the type of person America falls in love with. We remember your audition and we remember every little growth to get to this point. Then you just did a whole performance, and when you brought the harmonica back, the intensity of the crowd went to another level. You’re working the stage, everything looks great and America is gonna love you for that.”
Carrie Underwood: “I’m so proud of you. I was just saying before this happened, ‘If you had told me on your first audition that you would be here right now just crushing it, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. But you have come into your own. I felt like I was at the ‘Josh Show’ right now. I would’ve paid money. I will pay money to hear a whole two hours of that.”
Lionel Richie: “Did you see how you just lit up the audience? You are a showman on top of being a great singer.”
How to vote for King
Fans can vote until 6 a.m. Tuesday to help King secure a spot in the Top 20.
Votes can be submitted at AmericanIdol.com/vote, in the American Idol app or by texting the contestant’s number you would like to vote for to “21523.” You must be at least 16 years old and located in the U.S., Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands to vote online.
Fans are allowed to submit up to 10 votes for each remaining contestant per voting method.
How to watch ‘American Idol’
New episodes of “American Idol” are released every Sunday and Monday on ABC at 8 p.m. and the next day on Hulu.
This story was originally published April 14, 2025 at 11:01 PM.
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