Alabama Garbage Man Doug Kiker Returns To ‘American Idol’ To Duet With Rascal Flatts

After winning over the hearts of millions with his American Idol audition, Alabama garbage man Doug Kiker returned to the…

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Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

May 17, 2020

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8:34 pm

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After winning over the hearts of millions with his American Idol audition, Alabama garbage man Doug Kiker returned to the hit show on Sunday (May 17) to sing a duet with one of his favorite bands, Rascal Flatts.

Kiker, who is now a father of two after welcoming his second daughter on May 5, originally auditioned for the show with “Bless the Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts. Although he had never had any vocal training and admitted to having no performance experience, Kiker’s charming personality and vocal promise led the judges to send him to Hollywood. His audition even left judge Katy Perry in tears.

Although Kiker’s American Idol run was eventually cut short, he didn’t let that stop him from continuing to pursue his dreams. When he returned home to Alabama, he got a vocal coach and has spent the past several weeks sharing new cover songs with fans via YouTube. Earlier this month, he enlisted fans to help fund his debut album.

On Sunday, Kiker joined forces with country supergroup Rascal Flatts to once again perform “Bless the Broken Road.”

https://youtu.be/wIuy0zQbMiU

Their performance earned a standing ovation from the American Idol judges.

Sunday’s American Idol finale featured an all-star performance lineup, including Luke Bryan, Gabby Barrett, Scotty McCreery, Lauren Alain, Kellie Pickler and many more.

The show opened with the reveal of the Top 5 and America’s real-time votes will determine the overall winner of the season.

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Lauren Jo Black

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.