The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Paulding teen in top 10 on ‘Idol’
Country singer has been praised by judges for his authenticity.
So far, Georgia has had one “American Idol” winner to call its own: bluesy rock-pop singer Phillip Phillips from season 11, the last “Idol” winner to have any real impact.
A second winner might be forthcoming courtesy of South Paulding High School graduate Caleb Lee Hutchinson, a country music fan through and through, channeling grittier country artists such as Chris Stapleton and Sturgill Simpson.
He landed comfortably into the top 10 of “American Idol” this past Monday on ABC, receiving enough votes from the public to finish in the top six. (The three celebrity judges — Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Georgia country artist Luke Bryan — picked the other four.)
During the show, Hutchinson, 19, joked that he lost weight so he could compete for “heartthrob status” against the likes of Garrett Jacobs and Jonny Brenns. Both Jacobs and Brenns were eliminated this past Monday.
While the judges have heaped
praise for Hutchinson’s authenticity and humble, “aw shucks” persona, he isn’t the most dynamic stage performer. He has lost 80 pounds since he tried out for “Idol” last summer and is still getting used to his svelter figure.
“I grew up always being the big kid,” he said in a recent interview. “I’m sure it affected me on stage confidence-wise. It always bothered me. I just decided it was something I didn’t want holding me back in life.”
He admitted performing live for the first time this past week was “a lot more pressure than I’ve been accustomed to,” he said. “I just tried to have fun. That was my only real goal in mind.”
So far on the show, Hutchinson has sung only country songs. The theme for this Sunday’s episode is Disney movie songs, so he’ll likely have to sing something more in the pop vein. “I don’t try to fit my voice to a song,” he said. “I try to fit the song to my voice without changing it too much.”
During live shows closer to home, he said he’ll take requests for covers, and given 15 minutes during a break, he can quickly jimmy up a version of whatever is asked, be it a song by Eminem or Prince to Post Malone. “Even if it sounds goofy, I’ll do it,” he said.
The Dallas resident said music was always something he was drawn to. Nothing else ever caught his attention in school. He recalls his grandmother buying a karaoke machine when he was about 5 years old and he became obsessed imitating both Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash.
“I think it was my uncle who bought me a black cowboy hat,” he said. “I told everyone I was Johnny Cash.”
Though he said he listened to plenty of different genres of music, the pull of country was strong. And his skills truly excelled after his voice changed around age 14. (“I think it just happened,” he said. “One day I couldn’t sing Guns N’ Roses anymore!”)
He began performing around metro Atlanta, especially Mill Town Music Hall in Bremen, where he said he opened for Gene Watson, T. Graham Brown and the Kentucky Headhunters. His first appearance there, coincidentally, he opened for season 4 runner-up Bo Bice in 2012. “I was star-struck,” he said, “but it feels like I’ve come full circle.”
Hutchinson said he will persevere whether he wins or loses on “Idol.”
“I do music because it’s what gets me out of bed every morning,” he said. “It’s what I live for. It’s what I was born to do. If I was doing this just for money and fame, I’d get discouraged. That’s not my ultimate goal.”