Madison singer off to a strong start in American Idol

Johnny knox American idol
Johnny Knox is getting some serious recognition. (@johnnyknoxmusic / Instagram)

We all know that Huntsville’s music scene is up-and-coming, and Johnny Knox just did his part to represent it well.

On yesterday’s episode of American Idol, a singer/songwriter from Madison walked on the stage—and walked off with a golden ticket.

Here’s what you need to know about Johnny Knox.

He grew up in Madison, starting out in music very young

Johnny Knox was born in St. Louis and now lives in Southern California. In between, though, he lived in Madison, Alabama, and went to Westminster Christian Academy.

“I got into music at a pretty young age. I mean, there are photos of me sitting on a drum kit at a very early age, much to my sister’s chagrin.”

Johnny Knox, in an interview with WAAY31

Since banging on that drum kit, he’s gained a lot of experience. The singer/songwriter, now 27 years old, has been trying to write music every day since he was 19 years old.

And, all that songwriting has paid off. He’s got thousands of monthly listeners on Spotify, with his top hit, “Falling Over You” coming it at over 1.5 million streams. In the past several years, he’s released several singles and EPs as well as a full-length album, Hear Your Voice.

Over on his Instagram account, you’ll find everything from custom birthday jingles to making barbecue sauce to singing heartfelt songs.

According to his bio on Spotify, Knox is a “Neo pop artist wannabe” who “makes killer breakfasts and loves Aussie shepherds” (Spotify).

Now, I think we can remove the “wannabe” part of that.

He got the golden ticket on American Idol

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We’re excited too, Johnny. (@johnnyknoxmusic / Instagram)

Johnny Knox’s audition on American Idol season 21 was anything but ordinary. First of all, he brought homemade sourdough bread for judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan to enjoy.

Second, he performed an original song (that blew them away, maybe even more than the sourdough).

Third, he got a golden ticket—and on his birthday.

We can’t wait to see how Knox fares in season 21 of American Idol, and we know he’ll represent his hometown well.

If you’re looking to support Knox and enjoy his music, here’s where you can find him online.

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Sarah Gronberg
Sarah Gronberg
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