During the audition rounds of American Idol, judges Harry Connick, Jr, Jennifer Lopez, and Keith Urban listen to thousands of singers and assess who has the potential to be the next American Idol. That means they have to listen to good, great, AND bad singers.
At this point, they had already had to listen to a lot of singers and just wanted the day to be over.
When young-looking 17-year-old Josiah Siska entered the audition room, the judges weren’t hopeful. They all thought this kid might have a good, ordinary voice but will it blow them away? They didn’t think so.
When he walked in, he introduced himself as a big Johnny Cash fan. And if the deep voice and guitar wasn’t already a giveaway, this kid was all-country.
Hailing from Dacula, Georgia, he was singing Johnny Cash for that audition.
Even though he was auditioning in front of a big country singer in Keith Urban, Josiah wasn’t at all nervous and he began to perform “Ghost Riders.”
The judges were speechless.
“I was not expecting that,” Keith Urban said.
They continued to watch and were amazed to feel transported to a different world with his singing.
Josiah’s family was outside and watching his audition through four television set up to make it possible. They had a clear view of the Josiah and the judges.
“He’s having a good time,” Josiah’s dad observed.
Whatever frustration, exasperation, or fatigue the judges felt before Josiah walked in was gone by the time Josiah finished singing. They enjoyed his performance, which felt like a breath of fresh air.
“That’s just cool,” Harry Connick, Jr. said. “We haven’t heard anything like that.”
Keith agreed.
“You’re definitely on your own lane,” Keith confirmed.
They loved it so much and gave him a golden ticket, which advanced Josiah to the Hollywood Week in Los Angeles, CA.
Unfortunately, he was cut on the second night of Hollywood Week.
“Yes…I’m so so sorry y’all … I got cut…but it’s been an AMAZING journey and I want to say thank you to everyone at AmericanIdol,” Josiah tweeted on his account.
For some, that would have been the end of it and they go back to their old life. But not for Josiah. Getting on American Idol was just one step for him.
Yes, American Idol wasn’t the beginning for him. It was actually the stage, the musical stage.
It was at Mountain View High School in Lawrenceville, GA where he began his musical stage career. Mentored by his chorus teacher, Mr. Andrew Graham, and his theatre teacher, Dr. Beverly Johnston, he has appeared in their productions of “The Phantom of the Opera”, Broadway Review” and Disney’s “The Little Mermaid”.
But it was during his last year of high school when he discovered what he wanted to do musically, to become a solo artist. He was the special guest entertainment for an annual event in his school, which brought 1,500 people from different schools gather at Mountain View High.
That was his A-HA moment.
After that, anytime there was an opportunity to sing in front of an audience, he always took it. And that’s what got him auditioning at American Idol.
Three years later, he has released his own acoustic CD with all original music titled “Josiah Siska-Pure Country.”
Watch the video below and be mesmerized by Josiah’s deep country voice.
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