Luke Bryan Believes Noah Thompson’s Humility Won Him ‘American Idol’
ABC/Eric McCandless Reading Time: 2 minutes
Judge Luke Bryan has a theory about why Noah Thompson won Season 20 of American Idol, and it has to do with more than just his talent. Bryan thinks the show’s fans admired the young country singer for his humility.
Luke Bryan on Noah Thompson Winning ‘American Idol’
Noah, 20, was named the winner on Sunday night’s finale, with HunterGirl coming in second place. Bryan told People that he believes America voted for Noah because he’s an “all-American boy next door.”
“He just came in as the underdog … the unassuming guy that he didn’t see it coming, America didn’t see it coming,” Bryan said. “And I think, you know, we’ve seen it in 20 years where those type people, really — American pulls for them, responds to them. And it always tells me that at the end of the day, being a good, humble, kind person wins.”
Fellow judge Lionel Richie agreed with Bryan’s assessment, saying, “the humble giant wins every time.” Noah was so humble, in fact, that it took his friend and co-worker Arthur signing him up for the show to even try out.
Noah also frequently shared how much he missed his young son Walker while he was competing. He got to spend time with the 1-year-old during a visit to Disneyland and during his hometown visit before the finale.
SEE ALSO: NOAH THOMPSON EXPLAINS HIS PLANS AFTER WINNING ‘AMERICAN IDOL’
Noah’s Confidence Grew During Season 20
When he auditioned for American Idol, Noah explained that he’s dreamed of becoming a famous musician since he was a kid, but he felt like he didn’t have many opportunities growing up in small-town Kentucky.
“My family, they believe in me, the guys I work with believe in me, but I’ve just never believed in myself,” Noah said. “I would’ve never signed myself up for something like this. I never had that confidence. It’s pretty cool to know that somebody believes in you more than you believe in yourself.”
Noah’s confidence definitely grew as the season progressed. He performed plenty of country songs, but he also ventured out of his comfort zone on songs like Rihanna’s “Stay.” During the finale, he performed his original single “One Day Tonight.”
