Laine Hardy’s Country Roots Show With Hank Williams ‘Jambalaya’ Cover on ‘American Idol’
Laine Hardy's Louisiana roots poked through during a rowdy American Idol cover of Hank Williams' famous song "Jambalaya" on Sunday night (May 19).
The 18-year-old from Livingston, La., performed the classic country song as his second American Idol finale performance. He stayed true to the original, although a larger ensemble backed him than did Williams 57 years ago. Neither performance required much action on stage. He stood with his guitar and pumped out the lyrics in good time as fans in the front rows went wild.
The performance followed footage from Hardy's hometown visit in Livingston, which was complete with a parade, performance and remarks from the governor. The country-rocker became emotional at the dinner table, with his parents remarking how much he obviously missed being around family. Grandma Joyce's words hit his heart especially hard.
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"This whole time I wanted Luke to take me fishing, but I don't anymore. I want you to take me fishing," Katy Perry said, referring to his fishing footage.
Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie also praised his performance, with Bryan praising the song choice. The "Jambalaya" performance followed a performance of Marc Broussard's "Home" that Richie called "nasty."
Hardy joins Alejandro Aranda and Madison VanDenburg as finalists during this second season of American Idol on ABC. The 18-year-old is the most country of the three finalists although it's not clear what genre he'll choose if he wins, or even if he doesn't. He performed rock, country and cajun pop before joining the show again in 2019. In 2018 he was also a finalist on American Idol.
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