B.C. teen makes American Idol debut

An 18-year-old from Kamloops will be on this season’s American Idol.

Cameron Whitcomb earned a golden ticket and a trip to Hollywood after singing his rendition of Waylon Jennings’ “Rock, Salt and Nails” for judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie during Monday’s episode.

While Richie ended up saying no, Perry and Bryan both voted yes.

Whitcomb previously told CityNews he was “feeling fantastic” ahead of his audition. He says a casting agent had reached out to him on Reddit last fall after he posted a video of himself singing.

“That was before I had any vocal training either. I wasn’t a great singer. I mean, like I could sing but I just felt ‘yell-y’ or whatever,” he recalled, adding the moment was a bit hard to believe.

But the casting agent turned out to be real. He began taking singing lessons with a coach, all while working full time in construction, in an effort to get to the big stage.

Fast forward several months and Whitcomb has come a long way.

The next goes to…

@theCamWhitcomb #AmericanIdol pic.twitter.com/vriWIgsukm

— American Idol (@AmericanIdol) March 22, 2022

He admits it was still hard to believe that he would be on international television.

“Oh man, I’m still … I’m just pinching myself all the time,” he previously told CityNews. “In the audition room, when I got that, I was like, ‘it’s all a real thing.’ I can’t even believe it. It’s amazing.”

Whitcomb was born in Alberta but grew up on Vancouver Island. He later moved inland to Kamloops when he was 17, wanting to “do my own thing.”

He says his start in singing stemmed from being “really bad at being quiet.”

“I just can’t shut up. I’m always talking, singing, but I never really became a singer. I didn’t actually take a vocal lesson until just after being in Texas,” Whitcomb said, adding he loves to make others happy and entertain those around him.

Some of his favourite artists include Johnny Cash, with Whitcomb’s style sticking closer to country. He credits his brother for some of his musical tastes.

“He’s awesome,” Whitcomb said of his brother, adding he’s also gotten him into a number of other genres over the years.

Knowing he’s only one of a few Canadians to be on American Idol is a humbling feeling, Whitcomb admits.

“There was a few when I was in Texas. It feels great. Everyone I met during the process — amazing, amazing people,” he said.

After singing on Monday, he admitted that his audition for the show was the first time he’d ever performed in front of strangers.

“This is probably going to be one of the greatest seasons of American Idol — just tons of amazing people.”