KY athlete turned to music when he hurt his ankle. Now he’s headed to ‘American Idol’
A Hazard man who plays collegiate soccer says an ankle injury led him to a performance on “American Idol.”
Landon Hughes, 20, said he grew up playing piano and singing in church, but “soccer kind of took everything.”
That is, he said, until he stepped in a hole and “blew my ankle out.”
“I had to sit down for a little bit,” said Hughes, who plays soccer at Lake Erie College near Cleveland, and is a former Commonwealth Soccer Club player. “The only thing I really had was my guitar.”
Hughes began sharing videos of his music on social media, and last summer he connected with an “American Idol” producer.
Hughes said he chose a classic bluegrass tune, the Stanley Brothers’ version of “Little Maggie,” when he auditioned for celebrity judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Carrie Underwood.
“I wouldn’t trade where I was raised for the world,” he said of his Kentucky home. “It’s made me the person I am.”
While he is a longtime Grateful Dead fan, he said Kentucky artists Tyler Childers, Sturgill Simpson, John Conlee, Loretta Lynn, J.D. Crowe and Ricky Skaggs have had a big influence on him.
“Conway Twitty’s got a hold on me right now,” he said.
Hughes says he would love to make music a lasting career. A few weeks ago, he released a single, “Coal Town.”
“Music is what keeps me going day to day,” he said. “I want to leave a mark on people.”
Hughes’ audition will air on the Feb. 16 episode. “American Idol” airs at 8 p.m. on ABC.
He’s not the only Kentuckian on the show this season.
Christian Brown, 23, a singer from Franklin, got a golden ticket on the Feb. 9 episode.
This story was originally published February 15, 2026 at 5:30 AM.
