“American Idol,” is back, and you know what that means. It means the most talented young people in the country are suddenly gracing our television screens at night, and no one is mad about it. Caleb Kennedy is one of the talented few who were able to take home a golden ticket straight to Hollywood week, and it wasn’t without first wowing the judges and most of America. He’s got what it takes, and we are ready to learn more about him. Why? Because he’s going to become a household name one day, and we like to do our homework.
1. He’s a Teen
Yes, you read that correctly. He’s a teenager. He’s a child. He cannot vote. He cannot live on his own. He cannot order a cocktail or buy a lottery ticket. He’s a child. He’s 16-years-old, and he’s got the voice of someone who has been singing professionally for decades. Yes, we were shocked, too.
2. He’s a Southerner
He’s also a southern gentleman, and everyone loves a guy from the south. He calls South Carolina home, and you could say South Carolina is where all the southern charm and hospitality stems. He’s from a small town called Roebuck.
3. He’s Got a Momager
Since he’s still only 16, his mom works for him – and she works hard. She’s his own personal Kris Jenner but less…aggressive. She’s booking gigs. She’s making sure he’s got his homework done (he is, after all, a high school student by day), and she’s making sure he’s able to perform anywhere, anytime, and anyway he can. She’s a good mom helping him live his dream.
4. He Doesn’t Believe in Himself
Let us clarify that one a bit; he believes in himself. But, he doesn’t feel he believes in himself as much as the people in his life believe in him. He feels that they are such big fans and that they have such belief in him, and he feels that they have more than he does. We imagine that his parents probably have more faith in him than anyone in the world, but let’s be very clear about how much of a mom’s job that is.
5. He Suffered Through Divorce
He’s a young man who is very close to his mother. She is his best friend, and she is his biggest supporter, and his biggest cheerleader. She and his stepfather made it a point to show up virtually for him when he did his big audition, and they were so proud. However, he feels that his parent’s divorce was very hard on him, and he feels that he lost a part of himself in that process. It’s completely understandable.
6. He’s Got a Dream
Everyone has a dream, but we kind of think that his dream is very cool. He doesn’t just want to be a country star. He wants to be a country music legend. He wants to be the kind of guy who changes the game, and he also wants to throw in the title of outlaw in there. It’s a lofty goal, and we respect that.
7. Writing is a Tool
More so than a singer, Caleb considers himself a writer. He writes songs, and he sings them when he’s finished. He’s exceptionally talented on both fronts. His storytelling skills in his writing are beyond impressive, and he has the voice of someone with a lot more experience than a child his age should have. It’s something magical.
8. He’s Never Flown Before
Before his Idol audition, he’d never been on a plane. He made his first flight all the way from South Carolina to California, and we imagine it was very exciting for him to be on a plane for the first time. It’s amazing to think that he’s already 16 and has never been on a plane. It seems his parents had the right idea not stressing themselves out with flights with young kids when he was growing up. Maybe we should have thought that one through…
9. Music Helps Him
Music, along with his writing, is a tool for him. He knows that he was not himself when his parents began the process of leaving one another and divorcing, and he had to do something to help that along. He had to find a way to find himself again when he was lost. It’s impossible to imagine what a horrible feeling and a terrible situation it is to be a child whose parents are divorcing and have to deal with that hurt and that pain. We are so glad that he found a way to deal with his emotions, and that his mom found a way to be happy in her own life.
10. You Can Hear His Pain
Katy Perry told this young singer that she can hear the pain in his voice when he sings. She can hear the sadness and the lost boy that is inside the words that he wrote. He sang his own original song called “Nowhere,” though he’s not finished with the song just yet. She wants him to finish and to take this song places.
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