Dazzling Jamey Johnson Cover Places ‘Idol’ Standout On Path To Stardom

American Idol / YouTube

Caleb Lee Hutchinson Aims For Spot In Top 3

He may only be 19 years old, but Caleb Lee Hutchinson is all set to be a future superstar.

It’s something that American Idol viewers have known ever since he first auditioned with The SteelDrivers’ “If It Hadn’t Been for Love.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ISoMJkiu60

Week after week, Hutchinson graced the stage with outstanding performances of country hits, and they always impressed.

While he would typically lean toward more modern songs, Hutchinson decided to whip out a more traditional-sounding tune when he performed as one of the top five contestants.

Revisiting An Older, But Unknown Country Song

The song that Hutchinson chose was Jamey Johnson‘s “Stars in Alabama.”

It was sort of a risky choice for him, considering the fact that the song was never released as a single, and isn’t well-known.

Johnson included the track on his 2008 album That Lonesome Song. He co-wrote it with Alabama‘s Teddy Gentry, who also offered up some bass guitar work and backing vocals.

Even though many viewers probably didn’t know  “Stars in Alabama,” it was still the perfect song for Hutchinson to sing on Idol. Luke Bryan put it best after hearing his performance, saying, “Man, it’s so fun hearing you in your wheelhouse, hearing you…doing a song that’s like, tailor-made.”

American Idol / YouTube

Lionel Richie Sees A Star In The Making

Bryan’s description of Hutchinson’s performance was spot-on. The song seemed like it was crafted just for him, as it brilliantly showcased his deep, strong voice.

The performance also proved just how well Hutchinson can charm a crowd. The song may have been simple and subdued, but you can tell just from watching that he had everyone in the room completely dazzled.

One big fan of Hutchinson’s performance was judge Lionel Richie. After hearing him sing, Richie made it clear that he thinks Hutchinson is the real deal.

American Idol / YouTube

In this business, if you can close your eyes, and I know it’s you in two notes, that’s the stardom my friend,” he said. “Very proud of that.”

Now you can catch the performance that Bryan and Richie raved about by watching Hutchinson sing “Stars in Alabama” below. Oh and in case you were wondering, he made it all the way to the finale, and finished in second place!