Trey Louis walked onto the American Idol audition stage with a big personality and a ray of positivity. He introduced himself as “Trey from the Fe,” as in Santa Fe, Texas, before he launched into a rendition of Whiskey Myers’ “Stone,” which caught the judges’ attention almost as quickly as it became emotional.
“Oh, I Love you,” Lionel Richie muttered as Louis sang. Once he finished, all three judges gave him a standing ovation to which he replied, “Y’all better sit down.”
It didn’t take long for the comparisons to come out. “You start wondering when the Chris Stapleton disciples are going to show up,” Luke Bryan said. “You’ve probably driven around in your truck learning Chris Stapleton and trying your butt to sing like him.”
When asked why ‘Idol,’ Louis had two answers. It’s where the people he likes to listen to got their start and it was to spread positivity after experiencing a mass shooting at his high school in May 2018.
“I was in art room one and he shot up art room two before he made his way to art room one,” Louis shared. “I lost a lot of friends. Eight students were killed, two teachers were killed. It’s really been negative. Santa Fe has had a bad rep since 2018.”
The judges were stunned before Katy Perry burst into tears. “This is not okay!” she exclaimed. “You should be singing here because you love music!”
It was a unanimous “yes” for the judges to send Louis to Hollywood.
Below are ten fun facts about Standout American Idol Contestant Trey Louis.
Trey Louis Is A Full-Time Mattress Salesman
When he’s not singing, Louis works as a full-time mattress salesman. “I’ve had people come in and ask questions regarding how good you can perform on the bed,” he told Bryan when he asked if Louis had ever caught anyone getting freaky. “I can kind of give them, like, ‘This one bounces good,’ or, ‘This one has a good firmness to it.’”
His Audition Amassed Nearly 2 Million Views
His audition clip has garnered almost two million views on ‘Idol’s’ YouTube channel. The comments are full of support from those who admire not only his voice, but his courage to speak out against gun violence.
He Has A Girlfriend
He’s not single! He shares photos of his girlfriend, Grace Sheppard, on Instagram.
“Life’s been crazy, but the journey has been the best with you by my side,” he captioned one selfie of the couple.
Luke Bryan Encouraged Trey Louis To Try Out
It was Luke Bryan who encouraged Louis to try out for ‘Idol.’ He saw one of Louis’s covers on TikTok and sent it along to producers. The rest, as they say, is history.
He’s Previously Gone Viral
Louis’s ‘Idol’ audition isn’t the first time he’s gone viral. His TikTok cover of Stapleton’s “You Should Probably Leave” went viral in July 2022 and has garnered three million views and counting.
Trey Louis Is A Big Supporter Of His Hometown
Louis is passionate about spreading positivity around his hometown and recently spent time performing for a local elementary school and helping out with the morning announcements. He posted several photos and videos from the day on Instagram, including one of the kids chanting his name. “Better get used to hearing that huh?” he wrote. “Love these kids and this town. Thank y’all for having me join the morning announcements.” He also supported the local softball team.
He Has Original Music
While his covers have earned him a strong social media following, Louis recently started writing his own music. He shared a video of him performing his first original song, “Circle of Life,” on TikTok.
Trey Louis Is Learning To Play His Guitar
Louis only recently purchased his first guitar and is learning how to play. He shared a clip of how far he has come in a recent TikTok.
He Covers More Than Just Country Music
It’s not just country music Louis covers. After an outcry on social media for him to cover Rihanna’s “Stay,” he obliged. The cover now has more than two million views. Another non-country cover of Adele’s “All I Ask” has more than thirty-two thousand views.
Trey Louis Survived A School Shooting
While Louis talked about surviving a school shooting on ‘Idol,’ he shared a more detailed account on Instagram in the immediate days after it happened.
Over the course of several slides, he revealed what he experienced that day, mourned the friends he lost, and encouraged people to reach out to their loved ones. Read his emotional story.
American Idol airs Sundays at 8/7c on ABC.
