‘American Idol’ Garbage Man Doug Kiker Covers Brett Young and Chris Stapleton

Doug Kiker, a garbage man from Alabama, won over the hearts of millions on American Idol when he brought Katy…

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

April 22, 2020

Doug Kiker, a garbage man from Alabama, won over the hearts of millions on American Idol when he brought Katy Perry to tears with his cover of “Bless the Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts. Sadly, however, his Idol journey came to an end on the first day of Hollywood week, but that doesn’t mean his dreams of becoming a singer are no more.

After his stint on the popular singing competition, Kiker returned home to Alabama where he got a new set of teeth and a newfound level of confidence.

“I got new teeth, guys,” Kiker beamed in a video shared by American Idol earlier this month. “The sky’s the limit, man! Y’all got me feeling that way,” he proudly continued.

As he showed off his new pearly whites Kiker declared: “I finally believe in myself enough to actually sing in front of people.”

The aspiring singer has been active on social media and recently shared several performances to his YouTube page. Among the country covers featured are performances of Brett Young’s “In Case You Didn’t Know” and “Tennessee Whiskey,” originally recorded by George Jones and later by Chris Stapleton.

In his latest video, Kiker also shared that he has another daughter on the way.

Click above to watch his performances.

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.