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Luke Bryan stopped the competitor in the middle of his soul-stirring, bass-thumping version of “Ring of Fire,” shocking everyone. The audience became hushed, holding their breath, as he turned to the vocalist, a cheeky grin growing across his face. “Switch it up,” he suggested. “Let’s belt out a Christmas carol instead.” And with that, the entire room moved. The singer dived into the hymn with a voice so powerful it appeared to rattle the walls, each note vibrating through everyone’s chest.
His voice, strong and authoritative, seemed almost unearthly, as if it could move mountains. The unexpected enchantment unfolding before them captivated every ear and eye. Even before he enters the American Idol tryouts, Ryan Seacrest is captivated by this young man’s voice, telling him “he could make some money” recording radio advertisements.
Luke Taylor from Westchester, Pennsylvania, did not always have a deep voice. “My voice didn’t really drop until I was about 16 or 17,” he told me. “I went from 4’11” (124 cm) singing alto to 6’1″ (185 cm) singing below bass.” Boy, did it ever!
We skip the initial section of the video below (which you may see again), in which Idol Judge Luke Bryan quickly recommends that he might make a profession performing radio advertisements. The judges even joke about Taylor doing movie voiceovers.
When Taylor declares his music choice, Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire,” Lionel Richie responds, “Of course.” But the greatest part is when Luke Bryan interrupts him before he finishes, calling him the “next Burl Ives” and asking him to sing a Christmas carol. Please watch the movie below and send us a Facebook comment with your thoughts!
