Carrie Underwood knows talent when she sees it—and she’s been proudly watching 18-year-old John Foster evolve from an uncertain hopeful into one of American Idol Season 23’s most talked-about rising stars.
John, a Louisiana native and aspiring oncologist, didn’t exactly blow the judges away with his first audition. His initial choice—Alan Jackson’s upbeat “Don’t Rock the Jukebox”—left them unconvinced. But Carrie saw potential. She encouraged him to try again, and with a heartfelt rendition of Conway Twitty’s “Goodbye Time,” John flipped the script. Even Luke Bryan, who was ready to say “no,” changed his vote. With three yeses from Carrie, Luke, and Lionel Richie, John earned his golden ticket to Hollywood.
Since then, the dark horse of the competition has steadily won over viewers and judges alike. From surviving the grueling rounds of Hollywood Week to performing in the scenic showcase in Hawaii, John has stayed true to himself—and grown with each performance.
One of his most moving moments came during the show’s “Songs of Faith” Easter Sunday special. John performed an original song he penned in memory of two close friends who tragically died in a New Year’s Eve car accident. The raw emotion in his voice brought the audience—and the judges—to tears, cementing his place as a deeply authentic artist.
As the competition heated up, John didn’t back down. He tackled fan favorites like Brooks & Dunn’s “Neon Moon” and gave a crowd-pleasing performance of Elvis Presley’s “Jailhouse Rock,” prompting Carrie to compare him to none other than country legend Dwight Yoakam.
Now firmly planted in the Top 10, John’s humble charm and steady improvement have caught the eye of fans across the country—and Carrie Underwood couldn’t be more proud.
Speaking to PEOPLE after the Top 10 announcement, Carrie shared her admiration for the young performer:
“Week to week, we have watched him progress so much,” she said. “We were talking after his performance…we were just saying he’s probably the one that has grown the most since he’s been here.”
She didn’t stop there:
“When [John is] over there singing to me, I kind of feel like a proud mom. He’s very good.”
John’s most recent song choice was a bold one: Randy Travis’s “I Told You So”—a track Carrie herself famously covered in 2007 and later re-released as a duet with Travis in 2009. Performing it in front of Carrie added extra pressure, but John didn’t shy away.
Reflecting on the moment, he said:
“The fact that she was sitting there on the panel…the pressure was on. She has such a great version of the song, but I knew that I had to sing to her and I knew that I had to let America know my passion for the song and music by connecting with her.”
With each passing week, John Foster continues to defy expectations. Whether it’s his heartfelt storytelling, steady growth, or fearless song choices, one thing’s clear—he’s no longer just a contestant. He’s an artist in the making, and Carrie Underwood isn’t the only one who sees it.
