Since he was in middle school, Caleb Johnson has been passionate about pursuing a career in music. He told LancasterOnline that the “Queen: Greatest Hits” CD was a gift from a friend, and the rest is history. He said, “That just kind of took me over the moon.” “Freddie Mercury’s singing and Brian May’s guitar skills completely blew me away,” I said after listening to the CD repeatedly.
Johnson would subsequently go on to win “American Idol” Season 13 in the future. The Ashville, North Carolina native reportedly received a recording deal and a 2015 Ford Mustang, per ABC News. As the official Season 13 winner, he also revealed the date of the release of his first album and performed his brand-new track on stage.
Johnson said that when he was named the singing competition show’s winner, it was “surreal” and “terrifying.” He told Entertainment Weekly, “It was so wonderful, and the surge of energy and everything that came with that was unbelievable.” Since I was so worn out, I’ll be honest and say I didn’t want to sing [my new single]. The Season 13 champion didn’t want to perform that night, it seems, for other reasons.
Winning American Idol wasn’t all that for Caleb Johnson
It can be both very rewarding and very frustrating to compete on “American Idol.” On the one side, a competitor has the opportunity to display their talent on primetime television. The contestant will undoubtedly suffer both physically and emotionally as a result of the competition portion of the event. The Hollywood Reporter quotes Jena Irene, who finished second in Season 13, as saying, “It’s over, thank God.”
The singing competition show victory for Caleb Johnson in Season 13 fell short of his expectations. Johnson blasted the programme and the requirement that he perform his new song as the season’s official winner in July 2022. He admitted to Insider, “I understood that by de facto, if you won, you had to sing the song, and the music was simply absolute rubbish. “Like it was the worst music ever,” someone said. The performer claimed he tried to persuade the management team that he shouldn’t perform the song, but they allegedly responded that it was sort of like his “graduate present.”
Johnson, though, has made it clear that he doesn’t regret appearing on the programme. He told Glide Magazine, “Being on American Idol was a great experience. I will always treasure it, and it will always hold a particular place in my heart. After the show, he went on a search for his own sound, though.
Caleb Johnson finds his own voice
Caleb Johnson reportedly terminated his contract with the record company that signed him as the “American Idol” winner in 2015. The performer said he wanted to partner with someone who would give him full creative control over his work. In an interview with Billboard, he said, “I want to find the right home and the right team of individuals that are going to get behind my music and truly produce something.”
When Fox cancelled “American Idol,” the singer told Blue Ridge Public Radio that he was relieved and that his contract with his former record company was “null and invalid.” He was now free to pursue the music he wanted to make as a result. He declared, “I want to compose music that I would listen to,” noting that the bands he grew up listening to were Aerosmith, Queen, and Led Zeppelin.
According to his website, Johnson went on tour with Kiss, Black Stone Cherry, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra after winning the singing competition programme. Additionally, he was able to release more albums after leaving his first record company. “Spread the gospel of rock-n-roll,” is his stated goal.
