Landon Hughes is ready to put his map dot on the map! Repping his small but mighty hometown of Hazard, Kentucky, the 19-year-old college soccer player carried his Appalachian roots straight onto the national spotlight on Season 24 of American Idol.
With a whole lot of heart and a sound built from the mountains, Hughes gave an impressive audition of “Little Maggie” by The Stanley Brothers. The promising artist didn’t only sing, but he was picking right along on his acoustic guitar, showing off not only his vocals but his incredible musicianship.
Though his pride for Hazard shone bright, the judges had a bit of hesitation. Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan all saw something in Hughes, but they also wondered if that something could stretch beyond his bluegrass gift.