Where is Allen Stone from? Singer all set to mentor American Idol Top 26 contestants in episode 11

Popular reality competition series American Idol season 21 is all set to air a brand new episode on Sunday, April 16, 2023, at 8 pm ET on ABC. It will document the top 26 selected contestants from last week performing in front of the judges and a large live audience.

This time, however, they will be delivering performances in hopes of earning America's votes and continuing to move forward in the competition.

To help the Top 26 on American Idol, the show will feature mentor Allen Stone, who will be helping the first group of contestants with their performance at Disney's Aulani Resort and Spa in Hawaii.

The Washington-based singer will also perform for contestants, judges, and the audience. Viewers will have to wait and see how it all pans out.

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Allen Stone will be mentoring his set of American Idol contestants this week

Season 21 of American Idol has seen many alumni mentor contestants in the Hollywood Week round. The contestants have now made it to the top 26 and the competition is only going to get stiffer as each one of them promises to bring their best to the show to gain enough votes from America to secure their safety.

Helping them in their endeavors is R&B singer Allen Stone. The artist will be seen guiding the first group of contestants going into Sunday night's episode of the competition.

The official synopsis of the show, titled Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii Part #1, reads:

"America’s favorite singing competition returns to Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawaii. Soul and R&B singer-songwriter Allen Stone mentors Idol hopefuls vying for America’s first open vote of the season."

Ahead of the upcoming American Idol episode, Allen Stone spoke about mentoring the contestants and said:

"It's an honor. I think...When you get the oppotunity to impart the little bit of wisdom that you've learned over the years of doing this entertainment thing...to a younger generation, you kinda feel good being able to pass that off as well. It sort of imprints it but it also makes you feel like, what you're doing matters."

MjsBigBlog has released the list of American Idol contestants who will be mentored by Allen Stone in the upcoming episode. According to the outlet, the artist himself will perform Is This Love by Bob Marley and the Wailers. Check out the mentees and their song choices below:

1. Elise Kristine – Holding Out for a Hero by Bonnie Tyler
2. Emma Bussee – Lay Me Down by Sam Smith
3. Haven Madison – The Middle by Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey
4. Kaeyra – Don’t Let Go (Love) by En Vogue
5. Lucy Love – What’s Love Got to Do with It by Tina Turner
6. Mariah Faith – You Should Probably Leave by Chris Stapleton
7. Matt Wilson – Speechless by Dan + Shay
8. Nailyah Serenity – Lovin You by Minnie Riperton
9. Oliver Steele – Better Together by Jack Johnson
10. Pjae – Golden by Jill Scott
11. Warren Peay – Set Fire to the Rain by Adele
12. William Guy Tongi – Don’t Let Go by SpawnBreezie
13. Zachariah Smith – Lucille by Little Richard

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American Idol mentor Allen Stone's musical foundation was the church

Allen Stone is the son of a pastor and was constantly in the presence of church music when he was young. The singer was raised in Chewelah, Washington, and was also trained in gospel music.

The soul and R&B singer eventually moved to Seattle with the dream of pursuing a music career. According to Deseret News, he spent his early days "driving up and down the West Coast in his ’87 Buick to perform at any and all gigs he could find."

The American Idol mentor became recognized after his cover of the song Unaware on YouTube in 2011 hit over a million views. As of today, the video has acquired 15 million views. He has since become a well-known figure in the R&B industry.

Allen went on to release a number of successful albums, including Last to Speak (2009), Allen Stone (2012), Radius (2016), Building Balance (2019), and Apart (2021). The singer is also supporting Chris Stapleton on tour this summer. He recently released a new single, Magic.

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American Idol returned for its 21st season with a huge amount of talent. Many singers braved the audition round, Hollywood Week, and the Showstoppers round of the competition to make it to the next round.

The past few weeks have seen them perform in front of the legendary judge trio - pop princess Katy Perry, Oscar-winning singer/songwriter Lionel Richie, and county superstar Luke Bryan.

Don't forget to tune in to this week's episode on Sunday, April 16, 2023, at 8 pm ET on ABC.