Two of Mississippi’s own have made it to the top 10 of “American Idol.” But before Colin Stough and Zachariah Smith showed their talent to the judges, they were just two people from the Amory area.
Stough, 18, and Smith, 20, have wowed judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie week after week with their performances and have won over fans at home to make it to the top 10 along with eight other contestants.
Take a look at Stough and Smith a bit more, where they came from, some of the songs that have gotten them to the top 10 and when you can watch their next performance.
Making it to the ‘American Idol’ 2023 top 10
Smith and Stough made it to the top 10 after Sunday night’s “American Idol” gave contests a fierce challenge of channeling the inner rockstar with songs from artists in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Adam Lambert was the mentor for contestants.
Take a look at Stough’s and Smith’s performances below.
Zachariah Smith, ‘Don’t Bring Me Down’
Smith, who spent his days in Mississippi as a grill cook, dished out “Don’t Bring Me Down” by Electric Light Orchestra, bringing the high energy he’s become known for on “Idol.”
Colin Stough, ‘Midnight Rider’
Stough, an 18-year-old HVAC technician, belted out The Allman Brothers Band’s hit “Midnight Rider” on Sunday night.
Where are Zachariah Smith from?
Smith, who was just 19 when the 2023 season of “Idol” first aired, is from the Amory. A small community about 27 miles southeast of Tupelo, the birthplace of Elvis Presley. And just a few miles west of the Mississippi border.
Amory came to be in 1887 when officials of the Kansas City, Memphis, and Birmingham Railroad called for the survey of a railroad right-of-way connecting Birmingham, Alabama, and Memphis, Tennessee.
At the halfway point between the two cities the town of Amory was started, named in honor of Mr. Harcourt Amory of Boston, Massachusetts.
Where is Colin Stough from?
Stough is not far from where Smith calls home. The 18-year-old singer and guitarist is just 17 miles from Amory in Gattman, Mississippi. A town that shares the border with Alabama.
In the 2020 census, the Village of Gattman only had a population of 77.
How to vote on American Idol
“American Idol” voting opens up at the beginning of the East Coast broadcast at approximately 8 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. CT each night.
There are three ways to cast a vote:
- Online at AmericanIdol.com/vote
- In the “American Idol” app
- Via text: By texting the number of the contestant you would like to vote for to “21523”
Is ‘American Idol’ on tonight?
The next episode of “American Idol” airs at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT Monday, May 1. The top 10 contests will be whittled down to 7.
