Ending up in the stars
Noah Thompson rode in the parade with his grandmother, Karen Preston Thompson, during his homecoming parade last Tuesday in Louisa. BSN photo/Brenda Hardwick
By TONY FYFFE
BSN Editor
LOUISA — When Noah Thompson announced on Facebook in February that he would be a contestant on the upcoming season of “American Idol,” no one, especially the Lawrence County native himself, imagined that he would win the title three months later.
Saying he “shot for the moon” and asking “will I end up in the stars?” Thompson urged his Facebook friends in a Feb. 26 post to tune in to the ABC-TV competition program the following night.
Singing “Giving You Up” by Kameron Marlowe, it was during that Feb. 27 episode that the 2020 graduate of Lawrence County High School was given a golden ticket to Hollywood by judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan to continue on “American Idol.”
“I don’t want to touch your accent, don’t want to touch it,” Bryan said after Thompson’s audition.
Richie said Thompson had a “a real-life storytelling, bad-ass voice,” while Perry told Thompson he was the “American Dream.”
Hollywood Week began March 28, when Thompson performed Cam’s “Burning House” and told mentor Lauren Alaina about his 7-month-old son, Walker.
“My little boy, he is my strive for all of this,” he said. “Blows my mind that I’m even here. This could give me the opportunity to give my son an entire new life, a better life.”
Thompson made it through the duet segment of “American Idol,” and his rendition of Rihanna’s “Stay” — remember that title — was good enough to put him into the top 24.
Thompson and his fellow contestants next headed to Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii, where Lawrence County’s favorite son performed “Blue Side of the Mountain” by the SteelDrivers.
“There is a sweet spot in your voice,” Bryan said after the performance. “When you start really, really recognizing it, you might win the whole competition.”
The 24 contestants were whittled down to the top 20 on “American Idol’s” April 17 show, when Thompson sang “Falling” by Harry Styles and received a standing ovation from the judges.
“You’re going to ‘awe shucks’ your way to the top,” Bryan told Thompson.
Thompson made the top 20, and the following night — which also happened to be his 20th birthday — he was chosen for the top 10, which then became the top 14 after the judges selected four others to remain in the competition. Thompson then performed Jason Isbell’s “Cover Me Up.”
The Lawrence County High School choir will reap the benefits from an online auction sponsored by Hillbilly Hibachi. The mobile food truck is accepting bids on its Facebook page on a life-size cutout of “American Idol” winner Noah Thompson. All proceeds will go the LCHS choir to purchase new speakers. The auction ends May 31 at 11:59 p.m. The highest bid as of Monday was $700. Visit the Hillbilly Hibachi Facebook page to place a bid.
“Thank y’all so much for voting for me. I am so excited for this journey to keep going! Best birthday ever,” Thompson said.
Also that night, the judges selected four others to remain in the competition, bringing the total to 14.
With Thompson’s star quickly rising, the Lawrence County Fiscal approved a resolution proclaiming April as Noah Thompson Appreciation Month.
“Noah Thompson represents Lawrence County with a sincere politeness and humbleness that speaks volumes to the rest of America. Congratulations on making it to the final 14,” the resolution said. “You make Lawrence County Proud.”
Thompson initially planned to sing fellow Eastern Kentuckian Chris Stapleton’s “Nobody to Blame” on the April 24th episode, but mentor Gabby Barrett said she could tell he wasn’t feeling it and recommended that he change his song.
“I’m the only one that has to change their song at the last minute,” Thompson said.
When Thompson hit the stage, he performed “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King, giving it a country flare.
“You know, Noah, Gabby gave you a gift by changing that song, because you actually felt that song,” Richie said. “You were in it. I know you were trying to figure out your navigation, but your voice fit that song perfectly.”
Perry told Thompson that no matter what song he sang, “it’s always that Kentucky kid, authentic sound to your voice.”
“You are staying true to yourself, but you are also branching out a little bit,” she said.
Thompson advanced to the top 10 on the April 25 show after singing “Heartbreak Warfare,” a song he said he had not heard before.
On the May 1 episode, Thompson dedicated his version of “You’ve Got A Friend in Me” from “Toy Story” to his best friend, Arthur Johnson, who signed him up for “American Idol.” His performance placed him in the top seven of the competition.
“This is all surreal, you guys blow my mind,” Thompson said in a Tweet. “Thank you, guys, so much, from the bottom of my heart. I love you all! Thank you for voting, thank you for everything. Y’all mean the world to me.”
COVID-19 hit Thompson but did not prevent him from performing on the May 8 “American Idol” from his hotel room in Los Angeles, Calif.
Thompson said on Facebook, “Yes, I’m performing from my room! Was not planned, I’d much rather be on that stage with the other contestants but Covid said otherwise!! Voice is rough but I’m gonna give it my all guys, thank y’all so much for any support.” Thompson performed “Painted Blue” by Sundy Best and “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac during the broadcast. Bryan told Thompson he had the “right vibes” and that he looked “like a star.”
“When you’re sick, you’re sounding a lot better,” Richie said. “The believably, the growl in your voice, the texture — that’s called selling, man. You nailed it.”
Perry told Thompson that “you did the best that you have ever done tonight.”
His performances earned him a spot in the top five.
Thompson said that he was “shocked I made it.”
“It’s all because of you guys, man,” He told his followers on Instagram. “Thank you so much, y’all are unbelievable.”
Thompson’s hometown, meanwhile, was planning a homecoming for its favorite “American Idol,” which would be held two nights after the show’s top three contestants were announced.
Former “American Idol” winner and country music superstar Carrie Underwood mentored the top five contestants for that May 15 episode, but Thompson was mentored virtually due to his COVID-19.
Each of the contestants performed a song by Underwood; Thompson chose “So Small.” During his performance, he moved around on stage more than he had during any of his performances. Bryan came out of his seat, walked onto the stage with him and led him over to the people lining the stage so he could touch their hand.
“I don’t know what you found between those two ferns for a full week, but it was good, and I have never seen you move from that stage to this stage,” Perry said, referencing his previous week’s performance when he sang in his hotel room in between two plants.
Richie told Thompson that what makes him so appealing is him being “a real person.”
“On top of that, you have the ability to tell stories,” Richie said. “You can tell stories, you’re believable, but more importantly, I want you to understand something. There’s a point in your life, it happens to all of us, where we sit there and say, ‘Wow, is this really happening to me?’ Noah, this is really happening to you.”
For his second performance, Thompson sang “Working Man” by Larry Fleet with nothing but his guitar and a stool, mesmerizing the audience.
“All I got to say is, Noah, you just aced that test,” Perry told him.
“You on a guitar with a stool is enough to hold any room in any world that you’re in,” Bryan said.
Thompson, HunterGirl and Leah Marlene were picked to advance to the finale and the chance to become the next “American Idol.”
During Sunday night’s finale, each of the top three performed a Bruce Springsteen song, their original song and got the opportunity to perform with some of the special guests.
Thompson sang “I’m on Fire” by Springsteen and then his original song, “One Day Tonight.” He also sang “I’m the Only One,” with Melissa Etheridge and then did an encore performance of “Stay” by Rihanna.
The rest is history.