Laine Hardy is proud of where he comes from. The first line of his Instagram bio doesn’t name him as the 2019 winner of American Idol, but rather, proclaims that he is “Louisiana Born and Raised.”
During his time on Idol, Hardy became known as “The Bayou Boy” because of his ties to Louisiana.
Hardy appeared on Idol once before, during the 2018 season. He earned a golden ticket to Hollywood, but was eliminated before the live shows began.
In between Idol seasons, Hardy shared music on his official YouTube channel, including a song called “Louisiana Lady.”
Now, as the reigning Idol champion, Hardy has been given opportunities to pay tribute to his home state in greater ways than he likely ever imagined. One of those ways includes singing on the home field of one of the most popular sports teams in the nation.
In January, the 19-year-old had the honor of singing the National Anthem prior to the New Orleans Saints’ match against the Minnesota Vikings at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The game was one that sports fans are sure to remember for some time, since the Vikings beat the Saints with a 26-20 victory in overtime.
Another unforgettable part of the game was Hardy’s National Anthem performance. The Idol champ shared his experience on Instagram, and thanked the Saints for having him out to sing.
“Thank you @saints for letting me sing the National Anthem today!” he wrote alongside some photos of his performance.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B69ff2lAN4n/
Many spectators were able to film Hardy’s National Anthem performance, and shared their videos online. You can watch one such video below.
This performance proves why Hardy went on to win Season 17 of Idol. He’s a natural-born entertainer and has an outstanding voice!