Season 24 of American Idol airs tonight, and the show has already been reminding everyone why we should be excited. This season brings new contestants, new judges, and of course, new stories.
Videos by Wide Open Country
In a sneak peek video that was released on January 20, ABC shared the incredible story of contestant Jesse Findling, a 20-year-old singer from Long Island, New York.
The kicker? When he's not singing, Findling struggles with a stutter. He describes this as "something that [he] really had a hard time with" growing up.
However, that didn't seem to matter when he opened his mouth to sing Benson Boone's "In The Stars". By the end of his audition, Findling was not only rewarded with a standing ovation from the judges but also with a personal compliment from Luke Bryan.
"I don't think I blinked one time," Bryan exclaims. "I mean, wow. You're a real singer. Thank you, man. I'm really proud of you. I love this show. I love this show because we get to meet kids like you."
Fans can watch Jesse's story unfold, along with several other contestants, starting tonight at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
From Karaoke Songs to the Idol Stage
Findling says that his love for singing comes from singing karaoke songs with his siblings, one of whom also struggles with a stutter.
"I've had a stutter ever since I was little," he explains. "It's something that I've struggled with since elementary school. It was something embarrassing for me." He continues, "I wouldn't raise my hand in school, and it was just something that made me feel alone and something that I felt like I had to hide. So it was definitely hard."
Before his audition, Findling explains that he wants to be a role model for his younger brother because he knew how hard it was for him to have a stutter when he was younger. Now, it seems everything's working out, because Findling has a golden ticket to advance to the next round!
"When I was singing that song, I was thinking of younger me who wouldn't speak in class, who was scared of what people thought of him, and the fact that I got this [Golden Ticket] is just proof that everything's working out how it should," Findling shares.
Findling will now advance to "Hollywood Week" in Nashville, where he will do one "make or break" performance to see if he can advance to the next round in Hawaii. At that point, he will have gotten a Top 30 spot in the competition.
