“I don’t know if vocally it’s there to make it through many rounds of American Idol, but I think you got a nice voice…”
John Foster is a medical student with a deep love for traditional country music and a dream of sharing his passion with the world through American Idol. Before putting his vocals on display, he buttered up the judges with some authentic Louisiana food in personalized coolers as a way to showcase his Cajun hospitality.
As Luke Bryan got to tasting the treats, Foster explained that he is studying biology right now and on a pre-med track to go to medical school.
“I have a passion for cancer treatment,” he said before adding, “The dream is to be a singing oncologist.”
Foster presents himself with true southern charm and an intelligence that will, hopefully, have a major impact on the world of medicine one day. But during his audition, the Idol judges were more focused on his vocal skills that are reminiscent of timeless country acts like Alan Jackson and Conway Twitty.
While donning jeans, a flannel and a cowboy hat, Foster began strumming his guitar to Jackson’s iconic tune, “Don’t Rock The Jukebox.” The judges sat quietly as they admired the traditional and authentic twangy sound radiating throughout his vocals. This acoustic performance found Carrie Underwood reminiscing over her first concert, when she saw Alan Jackson perform in 1994.
“I was 11. Love me some Alan,” the country star gushed.
She then asked Foster if he had another song he could sing that would show a bit more of his vocal range. He opted for another classic country song – Conway Twitty’s “Goodbye Time.”
Watch his performance below.
Before he could even get the first lyric out, Luke Bryan gave an excited “oh hell” as he admitting, “I was singing it all day.”
The country star couldn’t help but jump in on a few lyrics and also offer words of encouragement as Foster confidently let his musical ability shine in front of the judges.
The power behind his vocals slowly increased as Bryan stood up and delivered the final lyrics alongside the hopeful contestant.
“If being free is worth what you leave behind/ And if it’s too late for love to change your mind/ Then it’s goodbye time,” Foster sang, earning a round of applause and a “thank you” from the judges.
Underwood was impressed by his second song choice and explained that she “got the information that I wanted out of that. There’s such a sweet spot in your voice that that song really brought out.”
She also offered him a bit of advice on how to succeed if he were to move forward in the competition.
“If you end up going through to Hollywood, when we ask you to sing different genres, be yourself for sure, but definitely think about how you’re going to navigate different situations,” she told him.
Lionel Richie agreed with his fellow judge, stating that he would like to hear more individuality from Foster in the future.
“I mean, I love the timber, but you’re going to carve your way out now and start making your sound.”
Bryan admitted he was initially leaning towards giving Foster a “no” but his second delivery ended up winning him over.
“Lionel said what my heart was thinking,’ he shared honestly. “I don’t know if vocally it’s there to make it through many rounds of American Idol, but I think you got a nice voice. You’ve got a lot of great tools. That last song certainly showed us that. I’m a Yes.”
