John Foster Joins Luke Bryan To Honor Randy Travis With Performance Of “Deeper Than The Holler”
John Foster joined Luke Bryan to sing a Randy Travis classic during the American Idol Season 23 finale. (Photo credit: Christopher Willard/Disney via Getty Images)
Luke Bryan stepped away from the judges’ desk to perform with finalist John Foster during Sunday night’s American Idol Season 23 finale.
American Idol‘s favorite country hopeful, John Foster, took the stage four times during the season finale Sunday night (May 18). He joined his fellow finalists, Jamal Roberts and Breanna Nix, to sing Queen’s “We Are The Champions” before taking the stage to perform two solos.
Foster stayed true to his country roots with solo performances of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” and Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue.” He also teamed up with judge Luke Bryan to honor country legend Randy Travis with a cover of “Deeper Than The Holler.”
Luke Bryan took the stage solo to perform “Country Song Came On” then invited John Foster to join him onstage. The two delivered a pure country rendition of Randy Travis’s classic tune.
Viewers took to social media to praise the performance with many pointing out John’s 90s country sound.
“John Foster sounds more country than Luke Bryan! Foster has that 90’s country sound and it’s great!” one fan wrote.
John Foster’s American Idol Journey
John Foster has had the support of the country music fan community since his audition, though those fans didn’t have a say in the teen’s fate until the live episodes. Foster earned the support of Carrie Underwood and Lionel Richie after his audition performances of Alan Jackson’s “Don’t Rock the Jukebox” and Conway Twitty’s “Goodbye Time.” Luke Bryan gave him a “yes” but wasn’t sure John had what it took to make it through the many rounds of competition.
Foster proved Luke wrong, something that the country star admitted following Foster’s Top 8 performance of George Strait’s “I Cross My Heart.”
“I saw a clip of me saying I didn’t know if you could sing good enough back in your audition. And, man, no one has ever proved me more wrong,” Luke told John at the time. “I am so proud of you.”
America has continued to vote John Foster through week after week, proof that country music is excited about new, raw talent in the genre.
Watch John Foster and Luke Bryan sing “Deeper Than The Holler” in
He sang with tears in his eyes—and the whole world felt it. On Father’s Day, Alan Jackson didn’t just sing a song… he opened his heart. After losing his dad, he honored him the only way he knew how: with “Drive (For Daddy Gene).” 
But this isn’t just music—it’s a son holding on to memories, one verse at a time. Every line hits home. I can’t help but think about my own dad—teaching me how to drive, letting me take the wheel on the boat, those quiet, perfect moments that felt like forever. I’m lucky he’s still here. This song doesn’t just pull at your heart—it wrecks it. If you’ve lived those memories, hold them tight. This might be the most powerful Father’s Day song ever written.
