Who is Josh King from American Idol? Age, career, and more explored

American Idol season 23 star Josh King is a 24-year-old singer from Charlotte, North Carolina. He works as an airport pianist, singing lounge music for passersby. When he auditioned for a spot in the competition, singing Over the Rainbow by Judy Garland, he received criticism and even a "no" from the judges for being stuck in the lounge mode. However, he advanced with two yeses.

While Carrie Underwood refused to take him to Hollywood Week, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan gave the singer a chance to prove he could break out of his shell and sing other styles. Josh took their advice and explored different genres in the following stages of the competition, earning appreciation from the panelists.

The airport pianist is now among the Top 14 contestants of the show, hoping to make it all the way and leave with the winner's title. Fans of the American Idol participant can follow him on his social media platforms, which include Instagram (@officialjoshking), TikTok, and Facebook.

American Idol's Josh King enters the Top 14 as a wildcard contestant

1) 24-year-old Josh King is a multi-instrumentalist

According to Josh's official website (joshkingmusic.com), he is a singer, songwriter, and musician from North Carolina. He is also described as a multi-instrumentalist who can play the diatonic harmonica, chromatic harmonica, and piano in several genres.

The American Idol contestant is further described as a singer with a "smooth, rich voice" with an "expansive vocal range." Josh is said to have performed with Grammy-Award winners, Blues singers, and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees as a young harmonica player.

While growing up, he was mentored by American blues harmonica player and Grammy winner James Cotton. According to Josh's website, James encouraged him to "sing, write music, and explore music beyond the blues genre" to discover his own sound. It then listed the singers Josh had collaborated with, which included Tommy Emmanuel, Buddy Guy, Jonny Lang, and Fred Yonnet.

The American Idol alum also volunteered as a performer at local hospitals.

2) Josh King's journey so far on American Idol

After clearing the audition, Josh King prepared for Hollywood Week. He presented the judges with his rendition of Hopelessly by Rick Astley, earning a standing ovation from Lionel. Before stepping on the stage, Josh mentioned that he had to break away from his habit of playing lounge music. He hoped his performance would impress Carrie, convincing her to change her opinion of him.

While reviewing his performance, Carrie said:

"If you had done that in your audition, then you would've had three yeses. Absolutely."

She appreciated his "sweet personality" and "sweet demeanor," saying she wanted him to be "great." After the Showstoppers Round, Josh went head-to-head against MKY. The judges acknowledged the potential of both singers, advancing them to the next round.

As a Top 24 contender, Josh performed I'm Still Standing by Elton John, making the judges dance. Luke Bryan commended Josh's growth and claimed America would love him. Carrie chimed in, saying she felt like she was at "The Josh Show."

Josh then advanced to the Top 20 and sang You Are So Beautiful by Joe Cocker. In the latest episode, aired on April 21, 2025, Josh found himself among the bottom ten, at risk of going home. However, with his cover of Never Gonna Give You Up, he convinced the judges to keep him in the competition, and they did.

Josh made it to the Top 14 as the judges' wildcard contestant.

3) American Idol star Josh King has over 7K followers on Instagram

At the time of writing, Josh has a little over 7K followers on his Instagram account. With 106 posts, his bio describes him as a "singer/songwriter/musician." It also says that he is a "decent-ish film photographer." Fans can also find the link to his official YouTube channel on his profile.

Josh's Instagram page contains pictures of himself and videos of his performances on American Idol. Apart from that, it contains videos or snippets of his acts from various events.

In a post shared on April 21, 2025, Josh is seen playing rock, paper, scissors with artist in residence, Jelly Roll, captioned:

"Rock, paper, scissors.....Jelly Roll! Tune in TONIGHT at 8 pm ET to American Idol to see who made YOUR TOP 14 picks after a nationwide vote."

American Idol can be streamed on Hulu.

About the author

Raina Saha is a pop culture writer who covers reality TV at Sportskeeda. While pursuing her master's degree in Comparative Literature, Raina explored various genres of media and later joined the field professionally, after being drawn to all things pop-culture.

Raina has previously worked on several research projects for Zee Entertainment Enterprises, analyzing TRP trends for daily soaps and has presented her research at international conferences. Although an avid follower of the entertainment world, it is the unscripted nature of reality TV that excites Raina the most, owing to its relatability, unexpected twists, and the suspense and drama the shows offer.

For Raina, diligent research and providing accurate information from authentic sources are key to her reporting process. She relies on thorough fact-checking for her stories and continuously updates data post-publication to ensure the content is relevant and accurate at all times.

Raina's favorite artist is Miley Cyrus, whose personality and career-driven attitude she admires. Growing up watching Hannah Montana and listening to Miley’s songs, Raina is thrilled by the artist’s achievements, including her first Grammy win in 2024.

Outside of work, Raina enjoys traveling, especially to the hills, and exploring different restaurants to try new dishes.

Know More

Edited by Raina Saha