‘American Idol’ Contestant Trey Louis Draws Comparisons To Chris Stapleton
Louis is a survivor of the 2018 Santa Fe High School shooting.
Trey Louis; Photo by American Idol, ABC
Full-time mattress salesman Trey Louis, 21, auditioned for American Idol and drew comparisons to Chris Stapleton with his soulful vocals after covering Whiskey Myers’ “Stone.”
Nicknamed “Trey from Fe” (Santa Fe, Texas), Trey candidly spoke with the Idol judges about his role as a mattress salesman.
“How you ever caught anybody trying to have a little whoopee in the store,” Luke Bryan jokingly asked.
“No, no, no. It’s a good question. I’ve had people come in and ask questions regarding how good you can perform on the bed, but I can kind of give ‘em some… Like yeah man, this one bounces good or this one has a good firmness to it, but yeah exactly,” Trey said.
He jokingly added, “I’m slinging the springs baby!”
Trey Louis effortlessly sang the Whiskey Myers hit, and the judges were fixated on him the entire time.
He earned a standing ovation and appeared to be shocked over their overwhelming support.
“You think so,” he asked. “Man, y’all better sit down man, y’all better sit down!”
His performance continued to earn praise from the judges, while his girlfriend, Grace, waited for her in the hallway outside the audition room.
“Man, You’re singing from just the perfect spot, you throw that head back and close them eyes and you got the perfect voice. It’s been interesting, you start wondering when the Chris Stapleton disciples will start showing up and you were probably driven around in your truck learning Chris Stapleton and trying your butt to sing like him,” Bryan said.
“Yes sir,” Trey replied.
“Why are you doing Idol?” Luke Bryan questioned.
“Man so, American Idol number one, is kind of where people I enjoy kind of make it. Number two, as I said before I’m from Santa Fe, Texas. In May 2018, a gunman walked into my school. I was in art room one and he shot up art room two until he made his way to art room one. Lost a lot of friends. Eight students were killed. Two teachers were killed. It’s just really been a negative man. Since then Santa Fe had a bad [reputation] since 2018,” Trey honestly shared.
Bryan appeared to be at a loss for words as his emotions seemed to overcome him. “Man you just got the perfect voice. You sing from the right spot [and] you just let it come out of your heart and that’s what we love around here.”
Trey’s emotional story left Katy Perry in a puddle of tears.
“Our country has f***ing failed us!” Perry said to which he replied, “facts.”
“This is not okay, you should be singing here because you love music. Not because you had to go through that f***ing bulls**t.” Perry emotionally shouted.
Trey agreed.
“I hope that you remind people that we have to change because you know what I’m scared too,” Perry told him.
Trey agreed as he told her, “It’s terrible Katy, it’s horrible.”
“We have tolerated this for so long, for too long, it’s become a norm,” Lionel Richie acknowledged.
After pleading for change, Perry and the fellow judges cast their votes.
“I want to vote on this young man because I think you’ve done exactly what you were supposed to do. You have a yes from me and I can’t wait to see you at Hollywood,” Richie said.
“Yes, I can’t talk… you’re perfect,” Bryan added, holding back tears.
“Thank you. Yes,” Perry declared.
With a smile on his face, Trey Louis said, “Thank y’all so much. Y’all are awesome!”
After receiving a hug from all of the judges, Trey bid farewell to the audition room.
“I’ll see y’all in California baby!”
Following his audition, a video of Trey in his hometown appeared as he opened up about his past and his reason for sharing his story.
“For Parkland, for Columbine, for Las Vegas, and so many others… What we go through every day because of what happened is terrible, but there is a light. There is positivity and you just have to go chase it. Santa Fe, I’m not stopping, I got all the motivation behind me. I got all of you guys behind me. What a blessing this really is.”
Trey Louis was referring to the Santa Fe High School shooting that took place on May 18, 2018. According to CNN, a gunman, later identified as Dimitrios Pagourtzis, fatally shot two teachers and eight students. A February 2, 2023, report by Houston Public Media states that the gunman remains “mentally incompetent” an remains at the North Texas Sate Hospital in Vernon, Texas.
American Idol airs Sundays at 8/7c on ABC.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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