Luke Bryan thought 20-year-old Cecil Ray Baker’s audition was “absolute perfection” on American Idol.
The machine operator from Texas performed an impressive cover of Morgan Wallen’s If I Know Me track, “Talkin’ Tennessee,” earning him quite the praise from all three judges.
“I think you are absolute perfection,” Bryan added. “Listen, you are what we’re about here at American Idol.”
“Your voice is really distinctive and interesting and really good enough to potentially do really well in this competition. We always want this male, country kid slot and you may be the best we’ve seen this year potentially in that slot, in my opinion,” Bryan said.
Katy Perry compared the contestant to a country version of Justin Bieber.
“You are a fireball. You remind me of a country Justin Bieber. He has sold a couple of records,” Katy Perry gushed.
“Cecil, sometimes in your career, people can see your potential, before you can see your potential,” Lionel Richie said. “You have no idea in your rawness, what it is that you have.”
The performance not only earn praise from all three judges but also a golden ticket to Hollywood.
Watch his audition below.
New episodes of American Idol air each Sunday at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.
