‘American Idol’ celeb judges praise Wichita-area teen’s singing abilities on new episode
When American Idol’s “Hollywood Week” rounds begin on Sunday, the Wichita area will have two hometowners to cheer for.
On Sunday night, Wellington’s Makayla Brownlee, 17, made her national television debut, signing for celebrity judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan and earning the nickname “Little Kansas Snake Hunter.”
At the end of her performance, during which she sang a rendition of Dixie Chicks’ “Travelin’ Soldier,” she was handed the coveted Golden Ticket, meaning she’s advancing to the next round of the competition that starts next week.
She’ll join Wichita resident and Nepal native Arthur Gunn, who in mid-February appeared on the show to much adulation from the judges. He’s also advancing to the next round.
Makayla was introduced in the final minutes of Sunday’s show with a montage that showed pictures of her family and her life growing up in Wellington.
“My city is the wheat capital of the world, so I perform at a lot of wheat festivals,” Makayla shyly said to the camera. “That’s all I know about wheat.”
The montage showed Makayla checking in when she arrived for the audition and admitting to producers that her trip to Hollywood marked her first ever plane ride.
When she finally got in front of the judges, her guitar strapped over her shoulder, she started to chit chat with them about her life and revealed that one of her favorite things to do on Kansas camping trips is go snake hunting at night. All three celebrities seemed intrigued if not a little perplexed.
They listened attentively as she sang, and after, all three offered her praise.
“What a surprise — like a snake in the water,” Perry said. “Makalya, you’ve got a really good voice on you. I’m not a country aficionado but it’s definitely something I would be into.”
Richie described her singing voice as sweet and sincere, saying it was kind of a “yodel cry.”
“That’s a real magic trick you’ve got,” he said. “It’s a signature for you.”
The judges all voted in favor of Makayla proceeding to the next round.
“Little Kansas snake hunter, you’re going to Hollywood,” Bryan said.
The previews for next week’s episode indicated that the Hollywood auditions, where the finalists are pared down even further, would begin. And the previews promised the next episode would contain lots of dramatic and unexpected moments. Gunn was shown looking stressed on stage during one clip.
Makayla, whom the Eagle caught on video when the “Idol” audition bus arrived in Wichita in September, grew up in a musical family in Wellington.
This year marked her second consecutive attempt to make it on to the show.
The next episode will air at 7 p.m. on Sunday on ABC, Channel 10.
This story was originally published March 16, 2020 at 4:09 PM.
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