The story of Laine Hardy and his Journey to the American Idol live shows _ 2019 _Season 1

Lane Hardy is an 18-year-old singer who is currently competing on season 17 of American Idol. If Lane looks familiar, it's probably because he appeared as a contestant on season 16 of American Idol last year. Originally from Livingston, Louisiana, Lane's interest in music goes back to when he started to play guitar at age 7. On his website, Lane says he was born and raised in Louisiana and always thought and dreamed in sound, rhythm, and beats. He says he uncovered his passion for music during his first guitar lesson with local musician and music shop owner Jody Mayerux. Lane attended French Settlement High School, and in 2016, he created the group The Band Hardy, which bills itself as Cousins Doing What They Do Best. The band's focus is country music, and Lane's own musical background is heavily influenced by the old country, classic rock, and swamp-pop sounds he heard growing up. Lane explains his mom who convinced him to try out for season 16 of American Idol. He chose to cover Hurricane and admitted he was nervous when he got his shot in the audition room at Mardi Gras World in New Orleans. Lane impressed judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan so much with his gritty vocals that they sent him to Hollywood without even taking a vote. Unfortunately, Lane had a rocky performance of Justin Bieber's Love Yourself during Hollywood Week. I broke my heart for goodness sake. Don't look at us. The dance and choreography did not go so well. I am more of a singer than a dancer, I can promise. Although he had some trouble with the lyrics, Lane stood out enough from the rest of his group and advanced to the top 50. Lane's performance of Leonard Skinner's The Ballad of Curtis Lowe during the final showcase ultimately sent him home, ending his season 16 Idol hopes. Well, I used to wake up in the morning before the rooster crowed. He explained he picked the song because it reminded him of home and driving down a dirt road in my truck and having a good time. Since that time, Lane has gone from a relatively unknown country singer to a teenage heart throb with a social media following that many artists can only wish for. He currently has more than 230,000 followers on Facebook and more than 225,000 followers on Instagram. Lane also has his own merchandise line, which he features on his website, and a YouTube channel filled with covers and original music. We will post the link to Lane's social media accounts in the description below. On the day he graduated from high school, Lane announced the release of his first three singles, Louisiana Lady and In the Bayou, which are original music and a cover of his American Idol audition song, Hurricane. He also released a song called Blue Christmas ahead of the holidays in 2018. Lane made an unexpected return to American Idol when his childhood friend, Aston Gill, auditioned for season 17 of the show. Aston is the sister of Lane's best friend, and Lane came along to offer support and play the guitar for her audition. Aston sang Kristen Stapleton's Broken Halos for her audition, and while there were a few people who wanted to audition for the show, Lane was the only one who wanted to do it. All three judges voted yes, and Aston got her golden ticket. After Aston's performance, Judge Katy Perry said she missed Lane's voice and asked him to sing for them. Lane sang a raspy rendition of The Wait by the band. Judge Katy Perry immediately grabbed a golden ticket, and all three judges tried to convince Lane to take it. At first, Lane seemed hesitant, but then Lionel told him, It sure is shiny, Lane remarked, and after a brief pause, he finally said, OK, and grabbed his golden ticket, heading to Hollywood for the next stop on his season 17 journey. During Hollywood Week, Lane ended up being in the same line of 10 group as his friend Aston, and he performed She Talks to Angels by the Black Crows. Lane advanced to the group round and was shown in a group called Diamond Dixies that also include Lacey K. Booth, Katie Bell, and Colby Swift. The group performed Grenade by Bruno Mars, and despite forgetting the lyrics, Lane advanced alongside everyone in his group, except Colby. Lane's Hollywood Week solo performance was not televised, but he was shown in the first deliberation room with several other season 17 frontrunners, and ultimately advanced to the Top 40. Lane hit the stage in a suit and tie for his Top 40 solo performance, asking the crowd, He then proceeded to perform a rockin' version of Come Together by the Beatles, earning him a spot in the Top 20. Lane performed a soulful rendition of Sam Cooke's Bring It On Home to Me for his Top 20 solo performance. After his performance, the judges had only positive things to say, with Judge Katy Perry telling Lane that he was literally commanding the stage. For his Top 20 Celebrity Duet, Lane performed The Weight by the band with singer Ellie King. After his performance, Judge Lionel Ritchie said, Lane also got a surprise visit from his brother Kyle, who said, At the end of the night, with only one seat left to advance to the Top 14, Judge Katy Perry announced that Lane would be moving on to the Top 14. Lane now moves on to the live shows to continue his Season 17 journey. Do you think Lane has what it takes to win Season 17 of American Idol? Let us know in the comments below and thank you for watching.