‘American Idol’: Odell Bunton Jr. receives first Platinum Ticket for Season 22 [WATCH]

Denton Davidson
·2 min read
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“American Idol” returned for Season 22 on Sunday night, with judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie embarking on a nationwide search for the next singing superstar. One early favorite appears to be Oddell Bunton Jr., a Dallas airport security guard who gave a soulful rendition of “Bring it On Home to Me” by Sam Cooke. The 28-year old floored the judges with his gospel-infused performance and earned the first Platinum Ticket of the season, allowing him to skip the first round of Hollywood Week. Watch Odell’s audition below.

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Odell started his singing career in church and knew by age 13 this was all he wanted to do. At age 17 he became a young father and has since had four more children. Odell, his wife and their five children currently live in a hotel and he’s determined to make their future better. Katy called him “the best soul singer they have this season.” Luke wrote down “incredible” on his notepad and said the performance gave him chills all over his body. He also reminded Odell that Jelly Roll just won Best New Artist at the CMA Awards at age 39, so it’s never too late to pursue your dreams. After initially giving him a golden ticket to Hollywood, the judges upgraded Odell to Platinum status as he was visiting a local Dallas news station with his family. Do you think Odell has what it takes to become the next American Idol?

The “American Idol” auditions continue Sunday, February 25 on ABC (8/7c).

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