‘Once in a generation.’ Small-town Kentucky woman shows star power on ‘American Idol’
A teenager from Perryville went from small-town girl to overnight sensation with special skills Sunday when her “American Idol” audition aired.
Alyssa Wray, an 18-year-old from the city with fewer than 1,000 residents, received unanimous approval from the show’s three judges who told her she had “once in a generation” talent. Wray performed “I Am Changing” by Jennifer Hudson from the movie “Dreamgirls.”
Grabbing the attention in the room isn’t new for Wray, who said she thinks she may be the tallest woman in Perryville.
“Growing up, I kind of did always stand out,” she said. “I’m a 6-foot-2 Black woman who has an outspoken voice, and I’ve just always been colorful and outside the box.”
Wray was a standout on the basketball court at Boyle County High School thanks in part to her height, according to the Advocate-Messenger. But her love for performing may carry her to superstar status.
Luke Bryan, a country music star and judge on the show, said Wray had a “presence,” which was “the most challenging thing in entertainment” to have.
The other judges agreed and gushed over the singer’s singing talent as well.
“How lucky are we to finally say, ‘we knew you when, and we had something to do with it?’” asked Lionel Richie, a singer-songwriter, record producer, actor, Idol judge and more.
“That is how you close the show,” Richie later tweeted to Wray. Wray was the final person to audition in Sunday’s episode, and she had every judge out of their seats by the end of her performance.
Pop star Katy Perry, another of the show’s three judges, said she thought Wray could achieve anything she “ever dreamed of.”
She achieved internet fame and praise after the episode aired too.
Lyndsey Parker, editor-in-chief of Yahoo! Music, said that Wray “managed to stand as the new One to Beat.” She also compared Wray to Carrie Underwood, who went from Oklahoma farm girl to a music superstar after winning the show in Season 4.
Wray, a student at Northern Kentucky University, said she grew up watching American Idol but never expected to be on the show.
“It finally feels like I’m getting closer to what I’ve always been meant to do,” she said. “I hope it is, and I think it is, so we’ll see.”
The judges sent Wray to Hollywood for the next round of the competitive singing show.
This story was originally published March 8, 2021 at 8:06 AM.