Every year, countless hopefuls flock to American Idol auditions with the hopes of becoming the show’s next winner. It goes without saying that the competition is always fierce, and making it to the Hollywood round continues to be a nerve racking experience. When Cecil Ray stepped into the audition room to perform in front of the judges, he couldn’t help but be filled with nerves. When he started singing, however, it became clear that he didn’t have anything to be nervous about. His performance of “Talkin’ Tennessee” by Morgan Walken left the judges stunned and earned him a Golden Ticket. Here are 10 things you didn’t know about American Idol contestant Cecil Ray.
1. His Dad Is Also A Musician
Music has always been a major part of Cecil’s life – even before he started making music. He grew up listening to lots of 70s and 80s music and his father was also a musician. It was actually Cecil’s dad who introduced him to the possibility of becoming a musician himself.
2. American Idol Is His First Competition Show
Being on a show like American Idol is an intense experience for anyone, but even moreso for someone who has never done anything like this before. As far as we can tell, being on American Idol is the first time Cecil has been on a TV competition show or a talent show of any time.
3. He Is A Proud Dad
Cecil’s motivation for winning American Idol doesn’t just have to do with him. He also wants to win for the sake of his daughter. He is a very proud father and his young daughter is his pride and joy. He hopes that being on the show can help give him the opportunity to provide her with a better life.
4. He Has A YouTube Channel
After Cecil’s audition performance, there are a lot of people who would love to hear more from him. The good news is that you won’t have to wait until his next Idol performance to hear what else he can do. Cecil has a YouTube channel where’s posted a couple videos from his performances.
5. He Plays The Guitar
During his audition, viewers got to hear how great Cecil’s voice is, but what they didn’t get to see is that he can also play instruments. According to his page on BandMix, Cecil plays the acoustic guitar. Hopefully that’s something viewers will get a chance to hear during the season.
6. He Has Only Been Performing For About Three Years
Although it may be hard to believe, Cecil is actually relatively new to being a musician. His profile on BandMix states that he’s only been performing for the last three years. He might not be the most experienced person on the show, but Cecil has already shown that he’s fully capable of holding his own.
7. He Loves Collaborating With Others
Cecil is currently a solo artist and there’s nothing to suggest that he’s ever been part of a band. Still, however, he is open to collaborating and performing with other artists. It’ll be interesting to see how he does during the competition’s duet round when he has to perform with another contestant.
8. He Is Not Really Into Social Media
By the looks of things, Cecil is a pretty low key person who doesn’t like to share much on social media. At the moment, almost all of his Instagram content is related to American Idol. He does have a Twitter account, but prior to getting on the show he didn’t post very often. There’s a good chance, however, that he will start being more active during the competition.
9. He Works As A Machine Operator
Winning American Idol would change Cecil’s life in multiple ways. Not only would he get an opportunity to do something he loves on a more consistent basis, but he would be able to elevate his financial status. Cecil comes from humble beginnings and he is currently working as a machine operator.
10. He Suffered A Lot Of Loss In His Life
Cecil is a very positive person who always tries to see the good in ever situation, but in reality he’s been through a lot of things that haven’t been easy to deal with. When he was just 11-years-old, he lost a friend to suicide. A few years later, one of Cecil’s uncles also died by suicide. There were definitely times where Cecil didn’t know how he was going to make it through, but music has always been something that he could lean on to help him deal with dark times.
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