Nate Walker didn’t make the cut on Sunday night’s episode of “American Idol,” but at least he got a trip to Hawaii for his final round.
Following a week in which he struggled through vocal issues, the 18-year-old from West Mifflin made what might have been a risky choice:
He sang The Commodores’ “Still” in front of the man who wrote and first performed it, judge Lionel Richie.
“What!” Richie said as he recognized the first notes of the song.
“That’s your song, right?” judge Katy Perry said.
You forgot to wear your sequin white suit for this performance @_Serenate #STILL #AmericanIdol pic.twitter.com/PhPFGNurdP
— Lionel Richie (@LionelRichie) April 1, 2019
Afterward, Richie, Perry and third judge Luke Bryan gave Walker a standing ovation, to which Walker said, “That’s all I wanted, was for him to approve.”
Breaking the news that Walker wasn’t going to advance to the final 20, Richie told him that although he had “all the voice in the world,” he hadn’t yet learned to connect emotionally with his audience.
Despite his disappointment, Walker told friends and family members gathered at Disney’s Aulani resort on the island of Oahu, “I’m going to use everything they said … they know what they’re talking about.”
You have so much potential @_Serenate. I know this won’t be the last time we’ll see you. #AmericanIdol #DisneyAulani
— Luke Bryan (@LukeBryanOnline) April 1, 2019
So how did Walker’s rendition of “Still” stack up against the original? You be the judge.
