The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Paulding County resident could win ‘Idol’
Hutchinson among 3 remaining contestants for Sunday’s finale.
Often, garnering votes on ABC’s “American Idol” or any similar show is as much about personality as it is about singing.
Caleb Lee Hutchinson of Paulding County is a strong country singer with a deep Josh Turneresque voice. But he certainly didn’t hurt himself with his selfdeprecating humor and aw-shucks humility in the pre-taped sections before each performance.
On Sunday night for Mother’s Day, for instance, the 19-yearold from Dallas read a letter to his mom, Piper, thanking her for her dedication to him and helping him believe in himself. Then he joked, “It’s good to know if this music thing doesn’t work out, I can live in the basement until I die.”
Not long after performing a heartfelt cover of “Stars in Alabama” by Jamey Johnson, he cruised into the finals of the show, facing off against Iowa singersongwriter Maddie Poppe and Pittsburgh country/soul singer Gabby Barrett this Sunday for the crown.
“In two years, when you’re 21, I’d like to drink a beer with you,” said a rapturous judge Katy Perry, who praised him for his relatability.
By making the final three, he gets a special hometown visit, filmed today with clips scheduled to air during Sunday’s broadcast (which airs locally on WSBTV). Hutchinson will visit Atlanta media in the morning, followed by a pep rally where he graduated in 2017 — South Paulding High School — and a stop at his home. Later at 6 p.m., the city of Dallas will host a parade on Main Street ending in a concert in a parking lot across from Sal’s Pizza, according to the Dallas Facebook page.
Hutchinson came onto the show a bit heavyset during auditions
last summer, but at the time, he decided to make a concerted effort to lose weight. By the time ABC was airing live shows a month ago, he had shed 80 pounds.
His stage presence has been tentative at times, and he looks far more comfortable with a guitar than without. But his likability and authenticity have gone unquestioned.
MJ Santilli, who has run an “Idol” fan site called MJ’s Big Blog for more than a decade, didn’t think he had a realistic shot to win going into the top 10 but now is far more optimistic.
“Caleb carved out a nice little growth arc for himself,” she wrote in her column Monday, noting how he has gained confidence on stage.
But she thinks Barrett is still the one to beat.
“She’s versatile, consistent, an A+ vocalist,” Santilli wrote. “Her biggest drawback: she hasn’t really established an artistic identity. Is she a country singer? A soul singer? When she covers artists, her renditions can verge on the karaoke. Yet, she’s popular. There’s no denying her vocal talent and confidence — a potent combo.”
Still, eight of the past nine winners on “American Idol” have been guys. And the last country singer to win was Scotty McCreery from season 10, and Hutchinson is cut from a similar mold: a sweet Southern kid from a small town with big dreams.