PROVO — Before his “American Idol” audition aired, Jordan Moyes told the Deseret News that Luke Bryan was his favorite judge.
On Sunday night, it was easy to see why.
Moyes’ audition unfolded on national TV Sunday night. As the 25-year-old singer from Provo, Utah, performed a soulful rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire,” Bryan leaned over to Katy Perry and whispered, “I want to sign him now.”
When Moyes finished, Bryan was the first one to give the singer praise.
“Your guitar playing and your delivery and your singing screams massive songwriter,” said Bryan, who was visibly moved by Moyes’ performance and kept saying “I’m dying” throughout the song.
But Bryan wasn’t the only one impressed with Moyes.
“First and foremost, your guitar playing is my favorite kind of guitar playing,” said Katy Perry, who sang along as Moyes played the Springsteen song. “I can hear every note. It’s so crisp and well tuned, and you are a studied musician. Thank you so much.”
Sending Moyes to the Hollywood round was a unanimous decision from the judges.
The Utah-based singer previously told the Deseret News that for years he had pushed off his mom’s encouragement to audition for “American Idol.” But that changed when his mom died suddenly of a pulmonary embolism in June 2018.
“That was kind of the big wake-up call. When she passed away, I feel like my priorities in general were just reevaluated quite a bit,” he said. “I felt like I had a need to suddenly do more of what I love and pursue it more fully.”