A Kamloops, B.C., teenager got his moment in the spotlight Monday night on American Idol.
Cameron Whitcomb, 18 and a pipeliner, auditioned in front of judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Ritchie, singing ‘Rock, Salt and Nails’ by Waylon Jennings — but not before performing a spontaneous backflip.
After belting out the country ballad, the youngster told the judges it was his first time singing in front of an audience.
While all three judges praised Whitcomb’s vocal tone, the overall reaction was mixed.
“I don’t think you have any idea what you’re doing,” Bryan said, noting Whitcomb’s inexperience.
“The tone that you have, if organized, could be really something amazing,” added Ritchie. “But you’re not organized yet. You need time to just put it together.”
Needing the approval of two out of three judges to move into the competition, Whitcomb received a “no” from Ritchie and a “yes” from Perry, leaving the deciding vote up to Bryan.
“I just like you, for some reason,” Bryan said before giving Whitcomb his second “yes,” prompting another backflip.