Who is Triston Harper? Youngest contestant of 'American Idol' Season 22 shares story of 'disturbed' childhood
MCINTOSH, ALABAMA: 15-year-old Triston Harper has made a memorable impact on 'American Idol' viewers already. His audition became quite emotional as he shared the inspirational story of how he overcame a 'disturbed' childhood.
In the audition introductory clip of Triston Harper, the 15-year-old shared the lows he faced in life when he was just 11 years old.
"My mom was with my stepfather. He was getting very abusive. We had to leave McIntosh then everything went sideways, just like that," he said.
Triston also shared how, after that incident, his family was homeless and slept on the "sidewalk."
After his performance, his mother was called to the stage. She shared how life has been hard for them and that is one of the reasons why Triston is so mature at a young age.
The 15-year-old also stated that he is very close to his family. He adores his Pawpaw Percy.
Percy stated that his grandson is proud of him and told him to "not forget his roots." Triston thanked everyone and was sincerely happy to be a part of the popular show and share his story.
What did the judges say to Triston Harper in the audition round?
With a sleek cowbook hat look, Triston seemed confident in front of the judges. The 15-year-old sang a beautiful rendition of Jason Isbell's 'Cover Me Up' on his guitar.
As soon as he got closer to his finishing notes, 'American Idol' judges Katy Perry and Lionel Richie gave the 15-year-old an applause and a standing ovation.
Lionel Richie complimented him stating, "Your voice. You got it. When you go into telling a story, you’ve got us right here. The purity of your verses, the purity of the B part going into the hook, killer. Make sure we know what that story is because your voice is a storytelling voice."
Meanwhile, pop icon Katy Perry was moved by his performance and said she saw an "old soul in him." She continued, "You were so authentic, so connected to yourself, singing from your soul. It wasn’t perfect, but it resonated with me. It was really good. I’m impressed for 15."
Country singer Luke Bryan shared a similar opinion as that of his fellow judges. At the same time, Ryan Seacrest seemed to send Triston's mother to the stage to witness her son succeed and proceed to the next round.
Triston Harper's background
The aspiring singer/songwriter is from McIntosh, Alabama. He is a member of the town's Choctaw Indian tribe.
The Choctaw have lived for centuries in the Southeastern United States, majorly in the location which is modern-day Mississippi.
The tribal chief Dr Lebaron Byrd, along with other tribe members, were elated to witness one of their tribe members achieve so much at a young age on a national platform. They rallied around Tristor Harper in support of his upcoming journey in the show.
As per reports by Country Now, Lebaron Byrd stated, "We’re so proud of Triston being honored to appear on 'American Idol' and we hope that you’ll be the winner in this competition so that we can say that we have someone.”
Did Triston Harper make it to the Top 24 for 'American Idol' Season 22?
As per a Twitter post of TIP/IDOL spoilers, Triston Harper did make it to the Top 57, the showcase round.
As per reports by the same source, Triston also gets a standing ovation from judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie for one of his performances.
For the semifinal round, Triston will sing Blake Shelton's 'God's Country' on his guitar.
On the semifinal group assignment, he was in the group Celebrity Mentor Jelly Roll, which had 11 fellow contestants.
Watch 'American Idol' Season 22 on Sunday, February 18, 2024 at 8 pm ET on ABC.
