Samson native set to perform on “American Idol” tonight

(WDHN) — A high school student from Geneva County will put his talents to the test on Sunday night, auditioning for “American Idol.”

Brant McCollough seems like most teenagers in rural America. Born and raised in Samson, McCollough is the quarterback for the Kinston Bulldogs.

But this small-town boy has talents beyond the gridiron.

“When he was very young, probably nine or ten years old, he would sing very little, and we heard it, and we loved it,” said McCollough’s mother, Tracy. “But he was embarrassed. He was shy, very shy.”

McCollough received national attention on TikTok when a simple video went viral and changed his life.

“I made a little TikTok account and posted some videos on there. None of my family knew about it,” said McCollough in an interview with WDHN on Wednesday. “I just started posting on there, and one kind of blew up. I turned it into a music account.”

The TikTok video that launched him to stardom has over 600,000 views and 132,000 likes.

After his family saw the video gain more and more traction, they knew it was time to take things seriously. Soon, he was signed up for “American Idol”.

McCollough and his family recently traveled to Tuskegee, Alabama, the hometown of legendary singer and Idol judge Lionel Ritchie, for auditions.

That performance and the results will air on Sunday, March 24, at 7:00 p.m. on WDHN.

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