Caleb Lee Hutchinson Snags Second Place On Idol
On May 21, America finally learned the name of its new American Idol. After Gabby Barrett was eliminated earlier in the night, Caleb Lee Hutchinson and Maddie Poppe were named as the top two contestants.
When it came time to make the final call, it was revealed that Poppe was the winner, with Hutchinson in second place. Considering the fact that both of them were frontrunners from the start, these results came as no surprise.
Hutchinson has been a particular favorite of country fans, since he primarily performed country songs on the show. Just a sample of the songs he performed include Chris Stapleton‘s “Midnight Train to Memphis” and Johnny Cash‘s “Folsom Prison Blues.”
But as much as fans felt like they got to know Hutchinson during his time on the show, there’s something about him few probably knew.
Finding Homes On Different Shows
Even though American Idol was, in essence, the original singing competition series, in later years it lost viewership to its newer competitor The Voice. This could be part of the reason why Idol was eventually cancelled before it was rebooted and picked up by ABC this year.
With The Voice being the new go-to show, aspiring singers would start auditioning for it in addition to, or in place of American Idol. Certain singers who were previously on Idol could end up finding a home on The Voice.
Case in point, Sundance Head, the Season 11 winner of The Voice, had previously appeared on American Idol during its sixth season. Head made it on to the show and made it as far as the semifinals before he was eliminated. The Voice was his second chance, and he won it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28i9QHEWuAc
Hutchinson’s Hidden History On The Voice
It’s always a bit shocking to hear about a situation like Head’s. How did his talent go unrecognized on the first show he competed on?
Well if you feel that way about Head, just wait until you hear what we have to tell you next.
If you think back to Season 9 of The Voice, you’ll remember that Blake Shelton had a talented young country singer on his team named Emily Ann Roberts. Beloved by viewers, Roberts made it all the way to the finale, where she was named the runner-up of the season.
During the blind auditions, Roberts happened to run into another young country singer who unfortunately didn’t end up turning any chairs. That singer was Hutchinson.
Roberts Recalls Hutchinson’s Failed Blind Audition
Roberts revealed Hutchinson’s unknown history on The Voice in an Instagram post she made to celebrate all of his success on Idol. “I was so disappointed because I knew how talented he was and wanted him to be able to showcase that on the show,” Roberts wrote.
But, as Roberts explained, Hutchinson’s rejection from The Voice didn’t signal the end of his career. Instead, it allowed him to move on and eventually find his place on Idol.
“Caleb your story is a true testament of how faithful God is and how he really does work ALL THINGS for good,” Roberts wrote. “He closed the door on The Voice because he had something even better in store for you just a little ways down the road.”
In addition to sharing her uplifting message, Roberts also posted a photo of her and Hutchinson from their blind audition day.
Can y’all believe it? We can’t begin to understand how Hutchinson didn’t turn a single chair on The Voice! But as Roberts said, that wasn’t the end of things for him, it was only the beginning.
Now, Roberts is a Voice runner-up and Hutchinson is an American Idol runner-up. They’re representing country music well!
Go ahead and witness a piece of Hutchinson’s remarkable journey by watching one of his Idol performances below.