Lainey Wilson’s Past ‘American Idol’ Rejection Shocks Judge Luke Bryan: ‘Don’t Always Get It Right’
Luke Bryan’s December 2023 comments about Lainey Wilson’s history with American Idol have resurfaced after fans discovered that the country superstar previously auditioned for the show seven times.
“I didn’t know that,” Luke, 47, who’s a judge on the singing competition show, admitted on Country Countdown USA. “That was the first time I heard that. But I’ll go see my producers today and find out what happened. I’m glad she didn’t take the Idol letdown to heart. We don’t always get it right.”
Lainey, 31, finally got her chance to sing on the American Idol stage when she performed during the season 21 finale in May 2023. “I finally made it on American Idol,” she said afterward. “I tried out seven times. I took the long way around but I finally made it on American Idol. I never made it through. I never made it past the first round.”
In the same interview, she revealed that she was also rejected from The Voice when she previously auditioned for the NBC series. She didn’t specify when she tried out for the popular singing shows.
Although it took some time, Lainey finally got her big break with her song “Things a Man Oughta Know” in 2020. She has since won big at the Academy of Country Music Awards, Country Music Association Awards and Grammy Awards. Most recently, she took home Best Country Album at the 2024 Grammys on February 4.
“I’ve known that this is my calling and there’s nothing else I want to do that I can do,” the “Wildflowers and Wild Horses” singer shared. “I’ve always just been like, ‘No plan B. This is it.’ I feel like that time I’ve had to prepare, I don’t know … if it happened when I wanted it to, I don’t know that I would have been ready.” This summer, Lainey will embark on her “Country’s Cool Again” tour following the February 16, release of her new single with the same name.
Season 22 of American Idol premiered on Sunday, February 18, with Luke, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie serving as judges for the seventh season in a row. Ahead of the first episode, Katy, 39, revealed that it would be her last season on the show, leaving fans wondering about Luke and Lionel’s plans for season 23. The singers have yet to announce whether they plan to return to their seats at the judges’ table in 2025.
