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'American Idol' contestant reveals his friend had signed him up for audition — then he won the show

The Kentucky-based artist later added, "I would've never signed myself up for something like this, I never had that confidence."

Noah Thompson wouldn't have won season 20 of 'American Idol' if his best friend and co-worker, Arthur, hadn't signed him up for the auditions. "Noah's just got pure talent, man. It's just something he was born with, and that's what I've been trying to get through his head," Arthur stated in the introduction clip. Thompson recalled that despite his passion for music growing up, he never had any opportunities to develop or display his talent. "How'd you find American Idol?" Luke Bryan quizzed during the auditions. "I didn't find American Idol; my buddy found 'American Idol' for me. He signed me up for it," Thompson hilariously revealed.  

"Is he still your buddy?"Bryan teased. "Yeah, sort of," the then 19-year-old construction worker joked. "We were actually hanging sheetrock at work, and he told me he was going to sign me up for it, and I said, No, you're not, but he did. Yeah, no, you're not, I said again, but he said he did," he added in jest. Thompson proceeded to wow the judges with his soulful rendition of Kameron Marlowe's 'Giving You Up.' "All right, Noah, I don't want to touch your accent. I don't want to touch it, but sing the chorus one more time and just be a little more deliberate with the lyrics I'm giving you," Bryan interrupted while trying to hone the young artist's skill. 

However, Thompson delivered the high notes on the perfect scale and won accolades from the judges. Katy Perry asked Arthur later, when he was summoned into the audition room, why he had signed up his best friend. "Because he wouldn't sign himself up," he hilariously answered. "He saw you. You are the American dream," Perry praised Thompson and lauded Arthur's decision. She then proceeded to question Arthur about why he thought his friend would make the cut. The construction worker bluntly responded that his friend was naturally gifted. "We can see him better than he can see himself," Perry exclaimed before handing out the golden ticket. 

Thompson breezed through the rounds and ended up winning the 20th season of 'American Idol' after beating out runner-up HunterGirl. The then 20-year-old enthralled the judges and the audience by picking up three songs for the finale: 'I'm on Fire' for the Bruce Springsteen round, an original composition titled 'One Day Tonight,' and Rihanna's 'Stay.' "Oh my God ... my heart is beating out of my chest; this is crazy," Thompson expressed after the results were announced on stage, People reported. 

"As a kid, all I thought about was playing music and being famous. But where I'm from, you don't really get many opportunities," he had said earlier. "My family, they believe in me; the guys I work with believe in me, but I've just never believed in myself," he added. The young self-made musician won by 60 million votes. 

The Kentucky-based artist later added, "I would've never signed myself up for something like this; I never had that confidence." After his idol win, Thompson continues to perform in events and gigs and has also released singles.