Slater Nalley delivered a jaw-dropping performance during American Idol‘s Hollywood Week, stunning the judges with his original song, “Foolish Pride,” and earning comparisons to music icons like Chris Stapleton, John Prine, and Bob Dylan.
Memorable Idol Audition, Reveals Special Gift From High School Teacher
The 17-year-old contestant from Atlanta, Georgia, brought all three of the Idol judges (Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan) to tears with a performance of “Traces Of You,” an original song that served as a heartfelt tribute to his high school teacher’s late son, Carter Davis, during his memorable Idol audition.
Prior to taking the “Idol Arena” stage during Hollywood week, Slater Nalley recalled his Idol audition while chatting with host Ryan Seacrest. He also admitted that his life has been “pretty crazy” since his audition.
“Getting three yeses was one of the best days of my life. Hands down,” he admitted before revealing a very special gift he received from his high school English teacher, Mrs. Davis, following his audition. “I was about to leave for Hollywood and the Davis family they gave me this necklace and to where and just to keep because they knew I got nervous a little bit before my last audition. It’s a St. Christopher with Carter’s ashes in it. So I get to carry Carter wherever I go this whole entire show.”
Nalley then went on to introduce his performance in front of his fellow Idol hopefuls and the star-studded judges panel, comprised of Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan.
Performed An Original Song, “Foolish Pride”
With an acoustic guitar in hand, he went on to deliver a jaw-dropping performance of “Foolish Pride,” an original song that he wrote when he was just 15 years old.
“‘Foolish Pride’ is about self-reflection and realizing sometimes when you’re the problem in a relationship or friendship or anything. I wrote it when I was going through a hard time in a relationship. I think the judges are going to see another side of my storytelling and are going to like it,” he said of the tune.
Compared To Chris Stapleton, John Prine And More
“How is he 17?” Underwood questioned the other judges as he belted out the lyrics to the original track. His stunning vocal abilities left Richie, Underwood, and Bryan captivated, impressing them with vocals reminiscent of country superstar Chris Stapleton.
“I’m scared, like I’m scared. It was so good that I’m scared,” Underwood said.
“Slater, you’ve got a lot of things going in that heart, mind, soul, spirit, voice, guitar…” Bryan complimented. “You got Carrie Underwood scared. You got a lot more stories to tell, and we’re glad you’re telling them.”
After Nalley left the stage, Underwood and Bryan likened his performance to legendary artists like Chris Stapleton, John Prine, and Bob Dylan.
Following his performance, Slater Nalley opened up to the Idol producers about his performance, “I wanted the judges to see a different side of me. Still songwriter, but a different range of my voice, and I think that they got that. This is something that little me would never think would happen, but I’m going to take on this opportunity. I’m here to win it.”
Advances To “Showstoppers” Round
Ultimately, Slater Nalley is one of 62 Idol hopefuls who advanced after what the show described as “the biggest cut in Idol history.”
American Idol returns on Sunday, April 6 for the “Showstoppers” round, where Jelly Roll will make his highly-anticipated debut as the first-ever artist in residence to offer guidance to the contestants. During the “Showstoppers” round, the remaining Idol hopefuls will face a career-defining challenge, where they’ll have the chance to prove that they have what it takes to captivate an audience with performances that could “make or break their journey to fame” and their shot at becoming the next American Idol.
American Idol airs every Sunday and Monday at 8/7c on ABC.
