Getty Maren Morris at the premiere for 'Daisy Jones & The Six'
Maren Morris might not have any trouble filling arenas today, but she did have trouble making it out of the first round on “American Idol.” The country music star joined the “Howard Stern” radio show on December 13 to discuss her failed audition in 2007 when she was just a teenager.
Morris claims that even though she “killed it,” producers of the singing competition show decided to pass on her. “I had to have been probably 16 or 17 when I went to the Cowboys’ stadium in Dallas and did the big cattle call, 20,000 people. You only get 10 seconds, in your lineup of five, to sing for this tent of like 20-year-old producers,” she said.
Morris told Howard Stern that she decided to sing one of her favorite songs in an attempt to move on in the competition. “I sang Chaka Khan’s ‘Sweet Thing,’ which is still my karaoke song. But I nailed it, I did not have a bad day,” she boasted. “I did after that.”
When asked if the rejection rocked her confidence as a teenage singer, Morris told Stern that she took it personally. “I mean, it sucked. It hurt for sure,” she admitted. “Just in the moment, you’re a teenager, and also Kelly Clarkson came from my neck of the woods and won the first ever season. So that was just so inspiring to me, as a Texan.”
Maren Morris Shares A Pic Of Her ’10th-Place Trophy’
For Morris, her rejection wasn’t just a one-time occurrence. She revealed that other shows passed on her as well. “It wasn’t just “American Idol.” It was “The Voice,” it was “America’s Got Talent,” she said. “It was all of them [that] said no.”
Reflecting on her struggles to make it as a singer, Morris acknowledges that she wasn’t prepared for fame in her youth. “I’m so lucky that they did say no because I was not ready to be in the limelight,” Morris said. “The music was not there. My voice was still maturing. Even though it was good at the time, I just hadn’t found it yet,” she said. “I would’ve been a [expletive] nightmare. Like, a teenage, signed artist? I would not have handled it like some of my peers.”
As the years have passed since her multiple rejections, Morris can now look back and laugh at her shortcomings. In July 2022, Morris posted a picture to Instagram that featured a relic from her past. “My mom found my American Idol audition ticket from 2007. I didn’t make it past the first round cattle call,” Morris captioned her post. “I wasn’t really into sports growing up but this feels like the equivalent of your mom saving your 10th place trophy.”
Major Artists Who Couldn’t Make The ‘American Idol’ Cut
Maren Morris may not be able to call herself an “American Idol” winner, but the 33-year-old singer has been able to forge her own way into the music industry. Morris released her debut album “Hero” in 2016 at the age of 26. Her song “My Church” went on to win the award for Best Country Solo Performance at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards.
Like Morris, Kane Brown has made quite a name for himself in country music. He also was turned away from “American Idol” early in the competition. In an interview with Billboard, Brown says producers told him “they didn’t need another Scotty McCreery.” After initially making it through the “X Factor” auditions, Brown left the show and headed in a different direction to jump-start his career.
Not to be outdone, Hillary Scott also knows a thing or two about rejection. The Lady A frontwoman auditioned not once but twice for “American Idol.” While speaking to HLN back in 2012, Scott reflected on her failed auditions. “I remember shedding a few tears just knowing that I hadn’t performed at my best because I was so nervous,” she said. “It’s nerve-wracking. But honestly, I would go back and do it again in a heartbeat.”