11 Famous Singers Who Auditioned For 'American Idol' But Didn’t Make It On The Show

But a “no” from the judges doesn’t always mean failure. Here are some famous singers who tried out for American Idol but didn’t quite make the cut.

1. Hillary Scott from Lady A      

Hillary Scott is the female voice of the country band, Lady A, formerly known as Lady Antebellum. She auditioned for American Idol twice, but never made it past the preliminary rounds with the judges. Some might not know, when you try out for American Idol, there are a series of auditions before making it to the auditions you see on TV with the famous judges. But she later formed Lady A, and has since won five Grammys. 

She spent her childhood watching concerts. Hillary Scott’s mother, Linda Davis, sang background vocals for country superstar Reba McEntire. Hillary would tour with her mother and Reba, and watch them perform. But Lady A has humble beginnings, as the band members met in a bar in Nashville, and started their music career just performing around town. 

2. Colbie Caillat 

Everyone has heard the song “Bubbly” by Colbie Caillat. Well, that song is an original of hers, and she used it to audition for American Idol. It was her second time trying out for the show, and both attempts were unsuccessful. “I was shy. I was nervous. I didn’t look the greatest. I wasn’t ready for it yet. I was glad, when I auditioned, that they said no,” said Colbie. 

Her rise to fame started with the social network MySpace. After a few short days of uploading her song, it got millions of hits. She was the number one unassigned artist on MySpace for four months. Universal Republic quickly signed a contract with her after this, and since then she has been a successful artist and has a net worth of over $9 million. Her first album, Coco, was released in 2007.

3. Tori Kelly        

Tori Kelly might be one of the most iconic singers of this generation. But she didn’t make it very far on American Idol. She tried out for season 9, and made it to Hollywood, but was cut before the top 24. 

Tori’s passion for music started young. She started uploading music on YouTube at age 14. In 2012, she self-released her album, Handmade Songs by Tori Kelly, and signed with Capitol Records the following year. Since then, she has won two Grammy awards and has played the voice of Meena in the film Sing.                      

4. Jimmie Allen 

Delaware born and raised, Jimmie Allen is an up and coming artist in the country music world. He has collaborated with artists like JLo, Nelly, T-Pain, Noah Cyrus, Brad Paisley, and more. It hasn’t always been easy for Jimmie, as he started his journey in Nashville and periodically lived out of his car. He once tried out for America’s Got Talent, and then later American Idol during Season 10. He did make it to Hollywood, but didn’t make it past the top 24.  

But Jimmie Allen continued his career, touring with Scotty McCreary and signing with Broken Bow Records in 2017. It all came full circle in 2022, when he came back to Idol as a mentor for the contestants. 

5. Moriah Peters-Smallbone

When Moriah tried out for American Idol at age 16, the judges liked her singing but felt she was too innocent. Hollywood Reporter writes, “Peters said the celebrity judges praised her looks and her singing, but belittled her chaste lifestyle. One judge told her, ‘You’re trying to be too perfect,’ while another told her, ‘Go out, kiss a guy, come back,’ she says.”

She later went on to sign a record deal with SONY Music Group and has released multiple albums and dabbled in acting. IMDb reports, “Earning a degree in Organizational Leadership with an emphasis in Marketing from Lipscomb University on scholarship, Smallbone has been invited by university faculty to develop a program geared towards touring artists set to launch in 2020.” She married Joel Smallbone, who is half of the popular Christian music group For King & Country. Despite the judge’s advice, Joel was her first kiss, on their wedding day. 

6. Amber Riley 

Before becoming famous from the show Glee, Riley auditioned for Idol at age 17, but didn’t make it past producers. Her failure on Idol wasn’t the end of her career. She is happy with her success on Fox, and proudly stated on Access Hollywood, “You know what? I still work on Fox and I get paid! Thank you, ‘American Idol,'” 

7. Mickey Guyton             

A now-famous country music star, Mickey Guyton was on Season 8 of American Idol but didn’t make it to the live rounds. Her rise to fame began in 2015, after her single, “Better Than You Left Me,” started making its way up the charts, but she gained more attention in the wake of the BLM movement when she released her song, “Black Like Me.”          

8. Bebe Rexha 

Bebe Rexha has always had a passion for music. She can play multiple instruments and was part of the former band Black Cards. She worked in the music industry with artists like Eminem and Selena Gomez, and co-wrote Rhianna’s hit, “Monster,” with Eminem. In 2018, she released her own album, and started getting more recognition. 

Years before her music career, Bebe auditioned for American Idol, but was rejected. But in 2022, she came back to the show as a mentor for the top 24 contestants. She reflects on her time with Idol saying, “I told the contestants, ‘You never know where life takes you.’ I truly think a lot of things are full circle.” 

9. Maren Morris               

In 2007, Maren Morris auditioned for Idol but didn’t make it past the first round. In an Instagram post, she shared the ticket from the audition that her mother saved. She said, “I wasn’t really into sports growing up but this feels like the equivalent of your mom saving your 10th place trophy. 😂🏆."

Though she has had great success in recent years, Maren also tried out for other shows in the past such as America’s Got Talent, The Voice, and Nashville Star, but was rejected by all. This didn’t stop her from moving forward with music, and she now has released six albums, has 8 Top Ten songs on Billboard, and has won a Grammy, as well as various other music awards.          

10. Kane Brown 

Kane Brown’s classmate growing up was Lauren Alaina, who has had great success on American Idol. Kane decided to go for it and audition for the show but was quickly rejected. He also tried out for The X Factor, and made it, but quit the show when they tried to put him in a boy band. But after posting a cover of Lee Brice’s song, “I Don’t Dance,” on social media, he woke up to the song going viral, and quickly rose to fame. 

11. Chris Lane                 

At age 22, Chris and his twin brother Corey tried out for season 7 of American Idol. Their audition was a rap song. They didn’t make the audition. But in 2008, Chris’s high school friend gave his mixtape to Seth England, of Big Loud Mountain, which helped him get his name out. 

Before his music career, Chris was on track to have a career in professional baseball, but an injury prevented this. He is thankful for his injury now, because he is happy with where he is at in his music career. He is married to former Bachelor winner, Lauren Bushnell, and they recently had their first child together. 

Closing Thoughts

It comes as a surprise to all of us that these successful music artists would be told “no” on American Idol. It’s clear that they have talent, but on a show where thousands upon thousands audition in every city, the producers have to quickly pick and choose what they will move forward with on the show. The music industry can be cutthroat and it’s challenging to get your name out there in a world with so much competition. These artists are an inspiration for those who want to pursue their passion. Just remember being told “no” by one person might open the door for another opportunity.

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