In 2022, Cameron Whitcomb made it to The Top 20 on American Idol during the show’s 20th season. In recent years, the competition has opened up to people outside of the United States. “I think I’m the first and only Canadian male to make it past The Golden Ticket.” He explained.
Initially, the Nanaimo native was scouted for the show after he posted a video of himself singing on Reddit. This meant he didn’t have to apply and things got crazier for Cameron as he advanced every week.
As a new artist, he said there isn’t much for people to know about him yet: “What I’m going for, when I start releasing music, will be like a ‘modern CCR’ sort of thing. I also just want to write and record the kind of music I like. Just know that I plan to stay consistent….”
Cameron recalled that his Creedence Clearwater Revival covers were met with mixed reviews on the show: With regards to his version of “Bad Moon Rising” he said, “A lot of people loved it and a lot of people hated it”.
In terms of the judges' feedback, Cameron carefully listened to what Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan had to say:
“Everything they said, I kind of took it and did as much as I could with it. I don’t think I ever felt picked on. They’re just honest—really honest, and so it’s good to hear that. I tried my best to take everything they said and work on it, for sure. It was a cool experience. Katy’s pretty cool and same with Lionel. We went to a press party after all of this together and Lionel took me aside and talked to me for a bit. It’s crazy. He’s a really genuine, honest guy. I have a lot of respect for that."
Cameron’s ability to do back flips also caught the judge’s eyes: “I’ve probably done a back flip every day since I was 12 years old. So it’s just kind of one of those things. It’s like riding a bike! It’s just easy! I’ve done them too many times…. It’s a lot of trial and error, for sure. I’ve definitely not landed a few on the first try, but the more you do something, it just gets easier and easier.”
When asked about his favourite Idol performance, Whitcomb replied: “The last song I did was the most vocally impressive, I think, but I think I had the most fun at The Showstopper Round. It felt like at that point, I had built so much confidence. You know, it was like, ‘Holy shit! I made it through The Genre Round!’ and then I made it through Duets. I thought, ‘Holy crap! I’m here!’ At that point, however it would have went, I would have been extremely satisfied.” Cameron acknowledged that he “received a lot of love from Canada” while he was on American Idol, but he hopes that he will eventually return to The United States.
Back at home, Whitcomb has worked in construction for 72 hours a week in order to save money for his debut album. Additionally, he takes vocal, guitar and piano lessons in order to improve his skills:
“Throughout this winter, I want to save up as much as I can and pay for my record and hit the spring hard. I want to do music as comfortably as I can and not worry about income so much….It’s just staying on top of it. I refuse to let myself not run with it. I just have to keep working, honestly. Hard work makes good luck. I am pretty lucky. I am very fortunate with whatever I do.”
As for future contestants on Idol or similar competition shows, Cameron Whitcomb offered the following advice:
“Make what you can of it. Don’t let it discourage you if you don’t make it very far, you know? Just take what you can from it because it really is one of the most beneficial things to ever happen to me. Even if I would’ve been sent home with just a golden ticket, that’s insane! Even making it before getting a golden ticket, you’ve already beat about 90 000 people or however many auditioned online or that sort of thing…. Reach out. Meet people. That’s all you can do. Try your best and have confidence but just be who you are.”
For more information, you can follow Cameron on Instagram.
Photo courtesy of Cameron Whitcomb.
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