South Carolina native and former American Idol contestant, Maurice goes viral for a street performance of a Morgan Wallen hit that promoted a couple to break out in a scene that looked as if it came right out of a romantic film, similar to The Notebook.
The 22-year-old first auditioned for the singing competition show with a cover of Wallen’s “Whiskey Glasses” and wow’d the Idol judges (Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie). His vocals and his touching story of being a street performer after experiencing a difficult upbringing earned him a spot in Hollywood week.
“When I was born, I was taken away from my mom because she wasn’t fit to be a mom at the time and they really know where or what my dad was up to. So, growing up wasn’t the easiest,” the contestant explained in a clip that was displayed prior to his audition.
After he was sent home from the show, Maurice went back to his usual street performances to continue working on his music career.
“Made magic in Nashville this weekend. These Relationships will last a lifetime ⏰ Thank you, @americanidol, for giving me the opportunity to meet greatness,” the singer said in a post on social media, as he said goodbye to his time on the show.
Getting back out on the street, one of his performances that took place in New Orleans sparked a great interest on social media as it quickly racked up 3.2+ Million views. The video shows a couple having a romantic moment as they danced together in the rain to Maurice singing a cover of Wallen’s hit, “Silverado For Sale.” It was first shared on Facebook by an on-looker who was touched by what took place that day.
The caption read, “Posting this video in hopes it finds its way to this couple who danced in the pouring rain at French quarter fest today 🎷❤️ love this city.”
Maurice showed his excitement for the heartfelt moment that occurred as a result of his cover. Because of all the love the original video received, he decided to share a video of the same couple from a different perspective on his own social media pages.
His repertoire of Wallen covers also includes “Redneck Love Song.” Maurice performed the 2018 If I Know Me track on Bourbon Street in New Orleans as he stood on top of his raised mobile stage covered in a velvet purple material.
“I sang @morganwallen ‘redneck love song’,” he wrote alongside the video.
During his Idol audition, Maurice explained where his love for country music originally stems from. He explained that his caretaker from one of his foster homes ingrained the compelling storytelling aspect of the genre in him so much so that he was motivated to become a country singer himself. This drive stayed with him as he learned to play instruments and how to write music.
“My last foster parent was a band director in South Carolina and not only did he teach me how to understand music, but he taught me multiple instruments and how to write music. Everything that I’ve done up to this point is because of Curtis,” he shared. “I never knew what a father was until he came into my life. I always had this idea just from movies, but he literally became a fatter for me and I didn’t have to look for one anymore.”
