ABC’s American Idol returned Monday evening (April 5) with an exciting second round of celebrity duets, featuring a number of superstar artists including Josh Groban, Tori Kelly, Jewel, Incubus’ Brandon Boyd and more.
Country hitmaker Jason Aldean was also on-hand to duet with top 24 contestant Caleb Kennedy, who previously took the stage for a solo performance of The Allman Brothers Band’s “Midnight Rider.”
“This man’s a legend,” Kennedy admitted ahead of the performance.
Kennedy and Aldean’s “Fly Over States” duet marked the Idol contestant’s first performance without a guitar and he truly impressed.
“You know, Luke Bryan actually told me something about country folk, you’ve got some country listeners that are more mainstream then you’ve got your AM and your FM,” Perry said. “You are so country – you gonna get the AM, the FM and the mainstream because you are so authentically yourself.”
“It’s fun seeing you go outside your comfort zone,” Bryan admitted. “I would say The Allman Brothers thing may of showcased you a little bit better than ‘Fly Over States.’ Man what’s the most promising thing about you Caleb is you sound like you no matter whose music you’re doing. I mean, that’s just what you sound like.”
“You have been possessed by a very old seasoned country man,” Richie said. “You’re going to learn as you go who that person is so that you know as time goes on. 16-years-old, you have so much promise, so much promise in your career, I just can’t wait to see where you go with this.”
The 16-year-old singer previously impressed the Idol judges with performances of two different self-penned songs that truly impressed Idol judges, especially Luke Bryan who praised his gritty country vocals.
Fans can vote for Caleb Kennedy by using the official American Idol app, visiting AmericanIdol.com/vote or by texting 22 to 21523. Please note, fans can vote 10 times, per contestant, per voting method. The contestant needs your vote in hopes to make it into the Top 16.
American Idol returns on Sundays and Mondays at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.
Click above to watch Aldean and Kennedy’s performance above.
