17-year-old ‘American Idol’ contestant reveals he nearly skipped audition — but for a wholesome reason
'American Idol' Season 23 contestant Canaan James Hill wasn't initially keen on auditioning for the ABC singing show. Yeah, you read that right. While appearing on an episode of 'The Cheryl & Vicki Show', Hill candidly spoke about his experience on the fan-favorite singing competition and revealed the reason why he didn't want to audition for 'American Idol' at first. “I’m not a competition type person, so when I first heard about it, I was like, I don’t know. I don’t want to be competing with anyone. I’m more of a come together type of person," the 17-year-old gospel-singing powerhouse shared on the episode.
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Every year, thousands of budding singers show up at the 'American Idol' open call auditions, but Hill was sought out personally. A TikTok video of Hill singing, posted by his cousin, caught the attention of the show's producers, and they asked him to audition. At that point in time, Hill's mother convinced him to give it a go. Hill further added, "My mother went and got the information and she told me, ‘I think you should go for it.'"
During his time on 'American Idol,' Hill impressed the judges Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan with some spectacular performances. Hill made it to the Top 10, but he failed to secure a spot in Top 8 and was eliminated from the show along with Kolbi Jordan. Throughout the show, Hill formed some beautiful bonds with the other contestants. Elsewhere in the episode, Hill stated that he and Jamal Roberts, who emerged as the winner of 'American Idol' Season 23, had a tight friendship, and they thought they might be the last two standing. “Me and him talked about it a lot. Me and Jamal we grew a strong connection on ‘American Idol,’” Hill said.
'American Idol' Season 23 may have ended, but Hill continues to maintain his friendship with Roberts. Along with Roberts, Hill also connected with some other contestants on the show. Then, Hill continued, “I had a great time … being able to meet so many amazing people … we were all so together in our faith." While reflecting on his tight-knit group with Roberts, Jordan, and Gabby Samone, Hill said, "We were always together, we were always real close. And many other contestants as well."
Recently, Hill even reconnected with some of his 'American Idol' friends, including Jordan, Filo, Josh King, Drew Ryn, Faith Artis, and Thunderstorm Artis. On July 18, Hill took to his Instagram page and posted a video, showcasing his reunion with his pals from 'American Idol.' Hill captioned the post, "What a great time I had with my Friends/Family from American Idol. Blessed to still be connected with you all and have such a great and strong friendship. I really do appreciate you all and will always be a great supporter of you all💯. I am missing you all so much already 😭🤍🤲🏾🤩."
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Following his successful stint on 'American Idol,' Hill has been busy with work. When asked about his upcoming projects, the singer and aspiring preacher shared, "We’re working on some music … we’ve got bookings coming in, so I’m going different places and getting stuff happening." Next month, Hill will be performing at the Summer W.I.N. (Worship Ignites Nations) Music Festival on August 30, and the tickets for his forthcoming gig are on sale now.