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After five brutal audition rounds, American Idol is finally moving on to the Hollywood Week round, where the selected contestants will have to perform individually and in duets under different challenges. The episode will air on the ABC network on Sunday, April 2, at 8 pm ET.
Dawson Wayne is a singer-songwriter who passed the American Idol audition off-camera and will be proceeding to the Hollywood Week round. He auditioned for the popular singing competition on Zoom last August. Wayne arrived in Nashville to audition in person in front of judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie.
Dawson is one of the 150 people who received a “yes” from all three judges and will now try to reach the top 24 singers.
American Idol contestant Dawson Wayne is the winner of $4000 scholarship
Dawson Wayne, actual name Dawson Rice, is a Katy, Texas native who graduated from Reagan High School. He was the pit captain and drum major for the marching band at his school. Dawson used to play Hello Dolly and Titanic on stage as part of the Foundations and Chamber Choir.
He won a $4000 scholarship during the Joci Awards for his performance in Titanic. Wayne is currently enrolled at Brigham Young University in Hawaii and is planning to move to Utah. He also wants to attend BYU in Provo, and he released his single album, With All My Heart (written by someone else), last October as part of the annual youth album released by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Speaking about his album in an interview, the American Idol performer confessed:
"It was the coolest thing I’ve ever done. I’ve always had such a passion for music, and I’ve wanted to make a career out of it, and so getting to go to this huge recording studio with this producer (Mitch Davis), who is so talented, it was life changing."
Dawson’s goal in life is to "look at the audience and give them a good show," which they can feel and brings a smile to their face. On the eve of his Hollywood Week performance, Dawson released his first-ever original song, titled More Me, Lonely.
It is unknown which song Wayne played in his interview, but it impressed the judges. Katy Perry told him that he was “an artist in the making.” Judge Richie also added:
"I love where you’re singing from — deep within, from a spiritual place."
Wayne’s mother, Jana Rice, revealed that while Dawson looked calm on the surface, it was his dream to join American Idol. Jana herself was not in Hollywood during Wayne’s performance, so she will see him perform on TV for the first time with others.
What to expect from American Idol season 21 episode 7?
Episode 7 of American Idol season 21 will feature golden and platinum ticket receivers competing against each other to reach the final 24. The contestants will be mentored by many past winners and participants of the show, which includes:
- Justin Guarini
- Clay Aiken
- Jordin Sparks
- David Archuleta
- Phillip Phillips
- Catie Turner
- Noah Thompson
With the guidance of these mentors, the contestants will perform under different challenges that ask them to focus on songwriting, stage presence, and confidence.
Tune into American Idol on ABC this Sunday, April 2 at 8 pm ET, to see if Dawson clears the Hollywood Week round.
