Kelly Clarkson. Chris Daughtry. Jordan Sparks. Adam Lambert. Fantasia Barrino. Carrie Underwood. These names are familiar to most music lovers, and they share one other thing in common. All of them began their road to Superstar with the help of their appearance on American Idol.

The most recent name that may be added to that list is Noah Thompson, a Kentucky native who won the 2022 contest in May. Thompson played the covers of many popular artists, like Bruce Springsteen and Rihanna. He also “delivered a perfect duet with powerhouse Melissa Etheridge for her hit ‘I’m the Only One.’” (https://variety.com/2022/)

According to Variety Magazine, Thompson was working in construction before he tried out for American Idol. He had a lot of support and managed to climb the ladder of success as he sang his way into the hearts of the judges and the viewers week after week. He even performed one week while he was quarantined following a positive COVID test, but despite the conditions, he kept the fans on his side.

Thompson’s versatility in music styles and his willingness to try something different helped him to appeal to a variety of listeners and may just be the quality that gets him onto the list of American favorites that the show has discovered over its 20 seasons.