North Dakota Represented on American Idol as Two Artists Advance to Hollywood
North Dakota artists continue to showcase their talent on the national stage, as a man from Fargo and a woman from Minot both advanced to the Hollywood round on American Idol Wednesday night (1/22).
Zach Johnson, a 20-year-old NDSU alum originally from Wendell, MN, impressed the judges with his infectious energy. Although the feedback was mixed when the judges implored him to be more original on his rendition of 'Don't Close Your Eyes' by Keith Whitley, he was able to grab the golden ticket with Luke Bryan's 'Drink a Beer'.
At the end of his audition, Johnson, a huge country fan, was invited to sing a song with Keith Urban at his upcoming concert in Sioux Falls, SD. A man of his word, Urban came through on his promise just a couple weeks later:
Johnson wasn't the only North Dakota artist to make it through Wednesday night, as Vanessa Andrea of Minot also made her way to Hollywood. Originally from California, Vanessa is married to Jeremy, an active duty Air Force member currently stationed at Minot AFB. She impressed the judges with her confidence and energy singing Grand Funk Railroad's 'Some Kind of Wonderful', getting the approval of the entire panel to move on to Hollywood.