American Idol contestant and Asheville resident Caleb Johnson has become a common conversation topic after his recent run on the popular televised singing competition. While Johnson is in Los Angeles vying for his position in the competition, the members of his band Elijah Hooker are hard at work back home in Asheville.
As of the day we went to press, Johnson is one of the top seven contestants left on the show. According to American Idol, some of Johnson’s biggest hits this season have been “Dazed and Confused” by Jake Holmes, “Chain of Fools” by Aretha Franklin, and last week’s performance of “Faithfully” by Journey.
Roberson senior Colton Emery is the drummer of the band Elijah Hooker, playing alongside Johnson, the band’s lead singer. Johnson and Emery met while playing in separate bands, and when their respective groups broke up, Johnson invited the TC teen to join his new band.
“It’s a huge window of opportunity for our band. We’re getting a lot more attention and publicity from Caleb being on the show,” Emery said.
This is Johnson’s third time auditioning for American Idol. This time, however, the producers called him personally and asked him to come back to the show.
Elijah Hooker compares themselves to artists such as Led Zeppelin, Sound Garden and Black Sabbath. They typically preform several times a month at local venues such as Wild Wings Cafe and The Orange Peel.
Members of the rock band have been supporting Johnson here at home throughout his Idol journey.
“We’ve put up signs, urged people to vote and used social media to get support. Our guitar player even went out to L.A. to see him. We just wanted him to get as many votes as he could. It’s almost like we’re on a campaign trail,” Emery said.
As Johnson gathers more and more fame, some might think that it would be easy for rivalries between members to become prevalent. Emery says that this has not been a problem.
“There’s a bit of friendly competition, but in the long run, we want him to be as successful as possible,” Emery said.
Sophomore Emily Walters is an avid American Idol fan, and picked Johnson as one of her favorites early on.
“There has not been a rocker that has won in the history of the show, so I think it would be cool to see him win it all. He stood out to me during auditions, before I even knew that he was from here,” Walters said.
A long-standing Idol tradition is for the producers to fly the top three contestants back to their hometowns to perform a live concert. Walters hopes that Johnson will make it far enough so that she can see him perform live and show her support.
“It’s a small world. I think it’s awesome that Caleb, his band, and Asheville is getting all this attention,” Walters said.
Famous Connections:
Sean Kruger: Mother’s first cousin is Mitt Romney
“The first time that he ran for president he spoke in Columbia, SC where we lived, and we got to talk with him. And when my mom was a kid, she spent about five years with him off and on.”
Amy Rogers: Movie Extra
“I’ve been an extra in the Hunger Games, the TV show Homeland, and several independent films in Asheville, and I got to meet the main actors from those movies. It’s a really cool experience, especially after it is all put together, and you can see yourself up on screen.”
Anna Lewis: Aunt’s sister’s husband is manager for Maroon 5
“I’ve gotten to meet the band at his office in New York. It was before they got really famous, but it was still really cool,” Lewis said.
As of the day we went to press, Johnson is one of the top seven contestants left on the show. According to American Idol, some of Johnson’s biggest hits this season have been “Dazed and Confused” by Jake Holmes, “Chain of Fools” by Aretha Franklin, and last week’s performance of “Faithfully” by Journey.
Roberson senior Colton Emery is the drummer of the band Elijah Hooker, playing alongside Johnson, the band’s lead singer. Johnson and Emery met while playing in separate bands, and when their respective groups broke up, Johnson invited the TC teen to join his new band.
“It’s a huge window of opportunity for our band. We’re getting a lot more attention and publicity from Caleb being on the show,” Emery said.
This is Johnson’s third time auditioning for American Idol. This time, however, the producers called him personally and asked him to come back to the show.
Elijah Hooker compares themselves to artists such as Led Zeppelin, Sound Garden and Black Sabbath. They typically preform several times a month at local venues such as Wild Wings Cafe and The Orange Peel.
Members of the rock band have been supporting Johnson here at home throughout his Idol journey.
“We’ve put up signs, urged people to vote and used social media to get support. Our guitar player even went out to L.A. to see him. We just wanted him to get as many votes as he could. It’s almost like we’re on a campaign trail,” Emery said.
As Johnson gathers more and more fame, some might think that it would be easy for rivalries between members to become prevalent. Emery says that this has not been a problem.
“There’s a bit of friendly competition, but in the long run, we want him to be as successful as possible,” Emery said.
Sophomore Emily Walters is an avid American Idol fan, and picked Johnson as one of her favorites early on.
“There has not been a rocker that has won in the history of the show, so I think it would be cool to see him win it all. He stood out to me during auditions, before I even knew that he was from here,” Walters said.
A long-standing Idol tradition is for the producers to fly the top three contestants back to their hometowns to perform a live concert. Walters hopes that Johnson will make it far enough so that she can see him perform live and show her support.
“It’s a small world. I think it’s awesome that Caleb, his band, and Asheville is getting all this attention,” Walters said.
Famous Connections:
Sean Kruger: Mother’s first cousin is Mitt Romney
“The first time that he ran for president he spoke in Columbia, SC where we lived, and we got to talk with him. And when my mom was a kid, she spent about five years with him off and on.”
Amy Rogers: Movie Extra
“I’ve been an extra in the Hunger Games, the TV show Homeland, and several independent films in Asheville, and I got to meet the main actors from those movies. It’s a really cool experience, especially after it is all put together, and you can see yourself up on screen.”
Anna Lewis: Aunt’s sister’s husband is manager for Maroon 5
“I’ve gotten to meet the band at his office in New York. It was before they got really famous, but it was still really cool,” Lewis said.