Hannah Prestridge Beats the Odds, Addiction to Earn ‘American Idol’ Golden Ticket
Hannah Prestridge auditioned for American Idol with husband Curt Jones by her side, and it's fair to assume that — after overcoming an addiction to hydrocodone with his support — she wouldn't have it any other way.
Prestridge and Jones actually auditioned together during Sunday night's (Feb. 23) episode of American Idol Idol. Together they form a Texas vocal duo called Treble Soul, but as their story was told it became clear they'd support one another as soloists, too.
Jones went first, performing a short bit of Travis Tritt's "Help Me Hold On" that ultimately wasn't enough for him to advance. Prestridge then announced she wanted to sing an original called "Day to Day," and when judges asked why, the show cut to a recorded package that told her story.
After meeting Jones on Nashville's Lower Broadway in 2014, the couple became pregnant and moved to Texas. A kidney issue during pregnancy led to treatment with hydrocodone and that, Prestridge says, is when her addiction truly took hold. The bottom came Christmas 2018, when she missed wrapping gifts for her children. Jones recalls her stumbling in looking like she had been beat up and telling her to get help, or else.
"I love Curt with my entire soul," Prestridge shares during the recorded package. "If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here."
"We've had a rough six years, happy and bad times," she then tells judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. "This is more of the bad times."
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The ballad and her story telling didn't bring tears to the judges' eyes, but it was enough to convince them that with some additional confidence, she could soar. They tabbed her as the lead of the couple's duo, with Jones as a necessary support, or her "rock" as Richie says.
After accepting her Golden Ticket, an emotional Prestridge talked about how the moment fulfilled all her dreams. The 24-year-old from Rockdale, Texas, was met by her daughters and family as she emerged from the audition. Jones wrapped her up in a big hug to tell her how proud he is and he told cameras he's excited to watch the journey from here.
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