Chayce Beckham was pushed by his family to audition after a ‘roller coaster’ of a year where he struggled with alcoholism and self-worth
On Sunday night, after a three-hour season finale, “American Idol” announced that Chayce Beckham is the newest champion of the singing competition.
“American Idol” judge Katy Perry predicted from the start that Beckham would go far in the competition, going as far as to call the 24-year-old singer from Apple Valley, California, a top five contestant during his audition.
Beckham — who has drawn comparison to Bruce Springsteen during his time on “Idol” — was working as a heavy machinery operator when he auditioned for the competition. He said he was pushed by his family to audition after a “roller coaster” of a year where he struggled with alcoholism and self-worth.
Chayce Beckham Performs Heartfelt Ed Sheeran Cover! – American Idol 2021
“Whenever everything else was bad, music was always there, and that would just kind of keep me grounded at all times. For me, it’s everything.” the singer said during his audition. “I’m grateful for all the negatives, all the positives, everything that’s happened in my life that’s added up to this. So I’m going to take this shot, and I don’t think I’ll miss.”