5 Facts About Returning ‘American Idol’ Contestant Zach D’Onofrio
@zach_donofrio / Instagram Reading Time: 3 minutes
There’s a familiar face on Season 19 of American Idol. His name is Zach D’Onofrio, and he’s back for a second chance at stardom on the ABC talent show.
The 20-year-old auditioned for the show in a previous season. He also happens to be dating a fellow contestant from that season. Read on to learn more about Zach before his audition airs.
5 Facts About ‘American Idol’s Zach D’Onofrio
Zach First Auditioned For Season 16
Zach first appeared on American Idol in 2018, when he was 16 years old. He made an impression on the judges when he gave them each a pair of socks, sharing that he has a huge collection of his own.
For his audition, Zach performed “The Way You Look Tonight” by Frank Sinatra. Katy Perry got up to dance with him while he sang. All three judges voted “yes” to sending him to Hollywood. Unfortunately, he was eliminated during Hollywood Week.
He’s Dating Fellow Past Contestant Catie Turner
Zach and Catie met while they were on American Idol together. During Hollywood Week, Catie remarked upon all the “cute boys” in the competition, naming Zach in particular. She said she liked his style and thought he was funny.
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Catie cried when Zach was eliminated, but they stayed in touch and have been dating for over a year now. The couple has collaborated on duets posted to Catie’s YouTube channel. Zach recently wished Catie a happy birthday on Instagram, writing, “I LOVE YOU YOU ARE SO COOL.”
Catie ended up making it to the Top 7 on Season 16, and she released an EP called The Sad Vegan. It looks like Catie accompanied Zach to his American Idol audition this season, so we can’t wait to see them together.
Zach Is Studying Music Management In College
Zach is a student at Florida Southern College, where he’s pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Music Management. According to his website, he wants to change the music industry in order to “better the future.”
Zach dreams of owning a record label to help unknown artists become big. Right now, he’s managing smaller artists through VH Management, and writes about musicians for Total Access Pass.
He Has Three Singles Out Already
Last year, Zach released three singles. They’re called “here for you,” “OVER THE MOON,” and “dandelion.” Check out his music video for “OVER THE MOON” above.
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His girlfriend Catie has been supportive of his music releases. When he released “here for you,” she commented on Instagram, “i may b biased and conceited but this is a good song.”
Zach Has An Adorable Kitten Named Jojo
In December, Zach shared that he had gotten a cute orange kitten, whom he calls Joey, Jojo, and Joseph. Zach has posted plenty of photos and videos of the sweet kitty on Instagram.
He even carries Jojo around in a clear backpack, and said he would love to star in a TV show about their “adventures.” Fingers crossed that Joey makes an appearance on American Idol this season!
