Kameron Marlowe surprised 19-year-old American Idol contestant, Noah Thompson, with a FaceTime call after seeing his impressive audition on Idol.
In 2018, word of Marlowe’s vocal talent spread throughout the music industry when he auditioned for NBC’s The Voice, with Luke Combs’ chart-topping hit, “One Number Away.” The performance was so impressive that it earned Marlowe a spot on Team Blake Shelton during Season 15 of the popular singing competition show. Later in the season he exited Team Blake and joined Adam Levine’s team.
Combs, a fellow North Carolina native, got word of Marlowe’s audition and surprised him with a call to share a few words of encouragement, which gave him the motivation he needed to keep pushing forward towards his career goals. Much like the judges, Combs was a big fan of Marlowe’s performance.
“The night after [my audition] aired, somehow Luke Combs tracked down my phone number through mutual friends back in Carolina, and gave me a FaceTime call just to tell me to keep going and keep pursuing music,” Marlowe explained. “That meant a lot to me, it really did it. It opened my mind to really trying to come to Nashville and do it.”
Fast-forward to March 2022, during the first episode of the new season of American Idol, Marlowe jumped at the chance to extend the same kindness that he received from Combs and pay it forward to a young Idol contestant who auditioned with his Gold-certified single, “Giving You Up.”
“I wanted to offer Noah the same kind of [experience] that Luke offered me, and I just told him to keep pursuing music and to keep writing and keep journeying on in this crazy business that we’re in,” Marlowe added.
While chatting with Music Mayhem, Marlowe also admitted that it was “just a complete honor to have my song be sang by somebody else, and on something like that, that’s globally announced. I thought that was incredible, it really was.”
Noah Thompson was working as a construction worker in Louisa, Kentucky when his best friend, Arthur, pushed him to audition for Idol because of the “raw talent” he saw in his friend.
“As a kid, all I thought about was playing music and being famous, but where I’m from you don’t get many opportunities,” Thompson shared in clips recorded by Idol, showcasing his life back home. “It’s pretty cool to know that somebody believes in you more than you believe in yourself.”
Following his performance, Thompson received positive feedback from each of the Idol judges. Lionel Richie said he had a “real-life storytellin’ badass voice,” Katy Perry called him “The American Dream,” and Luke Bryan explained that he is the reason “why this job is cool.”
Marlowe Was Blown Away To Know The Idol Judges Have Now Heard His Song
Upon watching the audition, Marlowe had the realization that his song was also heard by Idol judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, who sang along to the song.
“I know, It’s crazy. That’s a wild feeling, definitely,” Marlowe said. “Three superstars like that, I mean, Lionel Richie is one of my all-time favorites. It’s really cool to see that.”
Luke Combs and Marlowe Have Met Before & Will Share The Stage Later This Year For A Full Circle Moment
The “Forever After All” singer and Marlowe have met in person before, giving them the chance to talk about this heartfelt gesture, as they both continue to thrive within their careers. They are scheduled to cross paths once again this later this summer at the Buckeye Country Superfest in Ohio, which will mark Marlowe’s first-ever stadium concert.
“Some of my favorite artists in the world are gonna be on that,” Marlowe shared in excitement for the festival. “Cody Jinks, Zach Bryan and Morgan Wade and Luke Combs as well. It’s gonna be an awesome show. I’m very excited about that. It’s also gonna be my very first stadium show. So that’s a different level, it’s a whole new thing.”
Something else these artists have in common is their love for the Grand Ole Opry, a venue many artists dream of performing in. When asked which Opry members he looks up to most, Marlowe included Combs, who was inducted as a member of the Opry in 2019, along with the late Charlie Daniels and Brad Paisley, who he toured with earlier this year.
Although Marlowe is not yet a member of the sacred institution, he did recently make his debut within the iconic Opry circle, putting him on the right track to being welcomed into the Grand Ole Opry family one day.
Viewers will have to wait and see how Thompson’s Idol journey pans out, but for now, he can put his job as a construction worker on hold as he travels to Hollywood. As for Marlowe, he will be performing at the Buckeye Country Superfest this summer, as well as will be joining Morgan Wallen as a special guest on his Dangerous Tour.