Community celebrates eastern Kentucky’s Noah Thompson’s American Idol win

LOUISA, Ky. (WSAZ) – Lawrence County, Kentucky, native Noah Thompson is the discuss of the city Monday after he received the twentieth season of American Idol Sunday evening.

“All of us simply cried tears of pleasure as a result of we all know that is actually his God-given future and only the start of what he’s going to be doing in his profession,” mentioned Mitch Citadel, a pal of Noah’s.

The 20-year-old’s life was modified when certainly one of his pals signed him up for the present, realizing he had a present.

“When Arthur obtained him to audition, and he obtained that golden ticket we knew that was only the start of his journey,” Citadel mentioned.

Citadel was certainly one of about 15 people who flew out to Hollywood to have a front-row seat of Noah’s massive second.

“We obtained to see him for about 10 seconds final evening to hug him and inform him we liked him and have been so happy with him,” he mentioned. “He was actually in shock, I feel. Every little thing was transferring 100 miles an hour.”

Every week, Noah’s hometown of Louisa helped push him by way of the competitors.

“It was utterly surreal. It didn’t even really feel actual as a result of I do know him personally. I watched him develop the 4 years all through highschool,” mentioned Larisa Skaggs, certainly one of his former lecturers.

Skaggs says it’s an emotional second, as she thinks again to when he was in her class saying his dream was to sing for a dwelling.

“With the ability to watch all of his desires and what he wished to do in life come true, it’s a kind of moments that simply makes you cry, since you are so happy with what he’s pushed by way of, as a result of this hasn’t been straightforward. It’s been an extended journey,” Skaggs mentioned.

Each Skaggs and Citadel mentioned the nation was in a position to see the japanese Kentucky area in a brand new gentle, highlighting the expertise that comes from the hills and hollers.

“It was nice for the world to see that facet of japanese Kentucky as a result of it’s not the dangerous picture they at all times wish to placed on it. We’ve great folks right here,” Skaggs mentioned.

Noah’s journey on American Idol additionally confirmed children from Louisa and different small cities that their desires aren’t out of attain.

“It doesn’t matter that you simply’re actually from a holler in Blaine, you may obtain no matter you set your thoughts to,” Skaggs mentioned. “We had plenty of nice discussions in regards to the arduous work that goes in behind it. It’s not simply all the beautiful fancy stuff that you simply see on TV.”

Whereas the American Idol journey is over, it’s simply the beginning of Noah’s profession.

“Seeing him have the ability to stroll in that future and actually simply imagine in himself. So many occasions folks in our space develop up and so they actually don’t imagine they’ll do issues and he has not solely modified generations for himself however he’s modified generations of dreamers,” Citadel mentioned. “Individuals are dreaming once more due to Noah Thompson.”

Noah received a money prize and a document deal.

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