Another singer from Nanaimo has impressed the judges and is moving on with a chance to be the next American Idol.
Cameron Whitcomb, 19, passed his audition in front of celebrity judges on the Monday, March 21 episode of the ABC reality TV talent competition. It鈥檚 the second time in three seasons that a Nanaimo contestant has been part of American Idol after Lauren Spencer-Smith made it to the top 20 in 2020.
On Monday鈥檚 episode, Whitcomb started his audition with a standing backflip, then performed Waylon Jennings鈥� Rock, Salt and Nails. Lionel Richie remained unconvinced, but Katy Perry and Luke Bryan both said 鈥榶es,鈥� meaning Whitcomb received a 鈥榞olden ticket鈥� to advance to the next stage of the competition, Hollywood Week.
鈥淚 lost my mind,鈥� Whitcomb said. 鈥淚 remember celebrating and I had to lock myself in a bathroom somewhere and hyperventilate because it really happened. It鈥檚 a huge thing.鈥�
Whitcomb grew up in Nanaimo and went to school at Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools鈥� Learning Alternatives, where he enjoyed the 鈥渁mazing鈥� music program. He then moved to Kamloops, where he works as a motorcycle mechanic and a pipeline labourer.
Whitcomb said he got into Tyler Childers country music and thought his own karaoke renditions sounded pretty good, so he started posting videos on Instagram. One of those videos caught the eye of a casting agent, who got in touch with Whitcomb about American Idol.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 even know they took Canadians, except for Lauren, but that鈥檚 a special case because she鈥檚 pretty amazing,鈥� Whitcomb said.
His American Idol audition was taped last fall in Austin, Tex., and Whitcomb said his audition was late in the day.
鈥淪o I had spent the entire day just nerved out of my mind. I鈥檇 watched amazing singers, one after the other, some of them getting turned away and I鈥檓 like, 鈥業 am not nearly as good as a lot of these people,鈥欌�� he said.
But he managed to turn his nerves into adrenaline and said leading up to his turn, he was jogging in place and must have resembled a boxer getting ready for a bout. Seeing his audition now, he notices that he was cutting notes short and said since then he鈥檚 learned to breathe more and has benefited from vocal training and singing lessons.
鈥淚鈥檓 a better singer now, but it was just where I was at and I think it worked in my favour, because I can only really go up from there,鈥� Whitcomb said.
He obviously can鈥檛 reveal how the season will play out, but he promises that American Idol鈥檚 Hollywood Week is 鈥済oing to be a riot鈥� and that the competition will be 鈥渟uper exciting.鈥� He can鈥檛 wait to see how the season is put together and presented on television.
鈥淚t was just a great experience meeting tons of musicians and picking their brain and just taking every little bit you can from everyone you meet,鈥� Whitcomb said. 鈥淚f anything, I would have came out a winner, regardless of the golden ticket or not, being able to meet these musicians and taking away some knowledge I鈥檒l have with me for the rest of my life.鈥�
American Idol airs on ABC and CityTV.
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