“I definitely have Carrie to thank for my audition being a success,” Foster admitted after earning his golden ticket on American Idol.
John Foster, Photo Courtesy of American Idol via ABC
John Foster, an 18-year-old college student from Addis, Louisiana, brought a taste of his home state to the American Idol audition room with Cajun food and a dream to pursue both music and medicine.
John Foster Brings Gift Of Cajun Food To American Idol Judges
Foster entered the audition room, bringing a piece of his home state with him—small red coolers packed with Cajun food such as Jerky and Boudin from South Louisiana.
The 18-year-old college student from Addis, Louisiana, greeted the Idol judges and shared details about his current studies and his aspirations for the future. “Studying biology right now, hopefully on a pre-med track to go to medical school. I’m a passion for cancer treatment, so the dream is to be a singing oncologist,” he explained.
Auditioned With “Don’t Rock The Jukebox” by Alan Jackson
Wearing a cowboy hat, flannel shirt and blue jeans, John Foster then went on to offer a stunning cover of “Don’t Rock The Jukebox” by Alan Jackson.
“Don’t rock the jukebox/ I wanna hear some Jones/ ‘Cause my heart ain’t ready/ For the Rolling Stones/ I don’t feel like rockin’/ Since my baby’s gone/ So don’t rock the jukebox/ Play me a country song,” Foster sang on the first verse of the iconic country hit.
Following his performance of the classic Alan Jackson tune, Carrie Underwood request that Foster would perform a different song that would allow his vocals to be showcased better. “Alan Jackson was my first concert in 1994. I was 11. I love me some Alan. Do you perhaps have another song that kind of showcases your vocals a little more?” Underwood asked.
Luke Bryan Joined Foster For Duet Of “Goodbye Time” by Conway Twitty
He obliged and went into a performance of “Goodbye Time” by Conway Twitty.
Strumming his acoustic guitar, John Foster allow his country vocals to shine with an impressive cover of the Twitty tune that is a favorite of Luke Bryan’s. Luke Bryan joined Foster from the star-studded judges panel, and the pair delivered a duet version of the tune.
American Idol Judges Praises His Performance
Underwood was very happy with Foster’s Twitty cover and praise his voice, while also offering his advice.
“I got the information that I wanted out of that. There’s such a sweet spot in your voice that that song really brought out,” Underwood gushed. “If you end up going through to Hollywood, when we ask you to sing different genres, be yourself for sure, but definitely think about how you’re going to navigate different situations.”
Lionel Richie agreed, “Carrie’s right. I want to hear more of who you are, and I mean, I love the timber. You’re going to carve your way out now and started making your sound.”
Luke Bryan then added, “Lionel said what my heart was thinking. I don’t know. I don’t know if vocally is there to make it through many, many rounds of American Idol, but I think you got a nice voice. You’ve got a lot of great tools. That last song certainly showed us that. I’m a Yes. I went from no to yes.”
Earned Golden Ticket To Hollywood
Ultimately, American Idol hopeful John Foster scored three ‘yes’ votes, earning him a golden ticket to advance to Hollywood.
“I never expected to be doing a duet with Luke Bryan today,” Foster admitted to Idol host Ryan Seacrest after his audition. “I definitely have Carrie to thank for my audition being a success. That second song really drove it home.”
