Charlotte singer and musician competing in new season of ‘American Idol’
A local musician from Charlotte is taking his shot at stardom in the newest season of “American Idol.”
Singer songwriter Josh King was among the many artists across the country auditioning for the hit singing competition.
Not only is he a singer, but according to his website, he also plays multiple instruments — specifically the diatonic harmonica, chromatic harmonica and piano in several genres.
“With a smooth, rich voice and expansive vocal range, his voice and harmonica have captivated listeners across the globe. As a young harmonica player, Josh performed with Grammy winners as well as Blues and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees. Josh is currently working on original music in the alt-pop genre to record,” King’s website says.
“Josh has also performed with Tommy Emmanuel, Buddy Guy, Jonny Lang, Fred Yonnet, Kim Wilson and The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and Mud Morganfield (son of Muddy Waters).”
He’s also a volunteer performer at local hospitals and Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
This season marks the eighth of “American Idol” and the franchise’s 23rd season overall — featuring a new judging panel made up of Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and the show’s 2005 winner, Carrie Underwood.
So far, the three musical icons have heard from several aspiring stars in New York, Los Angeles and Nashville hoping to get their big break.
For his audition, King showcased his singing and piano skills with his own arrangement of “Over the Rainbow.”
“Two seconds into you playing, I was like ‘OK. We’re about to get a little master class in playing piano,” Underwood told King after his audition.
“My favorite times when you were singing were the times that it was simpler ... Sometimes it’s the notes you don’t sing. Sometimes simpler is better.”
Putting him up to the challenge again to see his vocal skills with “his hands tied,” Bryan asked him to sing “My Girl” — which all the judges ended up singing along to with him.
Though it wasn’t a full sweep from all three judges, Richie was the deciding vote to help him get the coveted ticket to Hollywood to continue on in the competition.
“You did some runs that were not Sinatra. They were not Bennett. They were you.”
Fun fact: King isn’t the only North Carolina singer you’ll see on this season of the show. 16-year-old Carsen Webb from Granite Falls also made it past auditions.
You can watch new episodes of the new season of “American Idol” every Sunday at 8 p.m. and the next day on Hulu.
This story was originally published March 14, 2025 at 5:45 AM with the headline "Charlotte singer and musician competing in new season of ‘American Idol’."
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