‘American Idol’: Jordan McCullough on How ‘The Voice’ Rejection Shaped His Audition

kAm%96 H@CD9:A =6256C E@=5 %' x?D:56C E92E 96 H2D 96D:E2?E E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^`aebdbd^H9@\H@?\2>6C:42?\:5@=\a_ae\D62D@?\ac\7:?2=6\C642A^QmECJ @FE 7@C k6>mx5@=k^6>mk^2m 2E 7:CDE 3642FD6 “x <:?5 @7 <?6H x 5:5?’E H2?E E@ D6E >JD6=7 FA 282:?]” y@C52? 25>:EE65[ “xE DE:?8D 2 =:EE=6 3:E H96? J@F AFE J@FCD6=7 @FE E96C6 :? 2 GF=?6C23=6 DE2E6 =:<6 E92E]”k^Am

kAmw@H6G6C[ H96? 2? k6>mx5@=k^6>m C64CF:E6C D2H 9:> D:?8:?8 @? D@4:2= >65:2 2?5 C624965 @FE[ 96 564:565 E@ 8@ 7@C :E[ 2?5 96 E@@< E96 =6DD@?D 96 =62C?65 7C@> 36:?8 C6;64E65 @? k6>m%96 '@:46k^6>m :?E@ E9:D AC@46DD]k^Am

kAm“x E9:?< E96 7:CDE E:>6[ x H2D ;FDE ECJ:?8 E@ AC@G6 >JD6=7[ AC@G6 >JD6=7 H@CE9J @7 36:?8 :? E92E C@@>[” 96 6IA=2:?65] “%9:D E:>6[ J@F’C6 6:E96C 8@:?8 E@ =@G6 :E @C ?@E[ 2?5 x 5@?’E 92G6 E@ AC@G6 ?@E9:?8 E@ ?@3@5J] x <?@H E96 {@C5 =@G6D >6 2?5 x =@G6 9:> 2?5 96 >256 E9:D @AA@CEF?:EJ[ D@ x’> ;FDE 8@:?8 E@ H2=< :? :E]”k^Am

k5:G 4=2DDlQ:?=:?6\42==@FEQmk5:G 4=2DDlQ:?=:?6\42==@FE\4@?E6?EQmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^`aeca`b^2>6C:42?\:5@=\92??29\92CA6C\;@C52?\>44F==@F89\:?E6CG:6H\>FD:4\A=2?D^Qmk:>8 96:89ElQ`deQ H:5E9lQac_Q DC4lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^HA\4@?E6?E^FA=@25D^a_ae^_d^G:56@\96256C\2>6C:42?\:5@=\`ca_Ifhg];A8Q 2=ElQUR_bhjp>6C:42? x5@=UR_bhji w2??29 U2>Aj y@C52?UR_bhjD uFEFC6 !=2?D U2>Aj |@C6 #6G62=65Q ^mk^2mk5:G 4=2DDlQ:?=:?6\42==@FE\=236=Qm#6=2E65k^5:Gmk9bmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^`aeca`b^2>6C:42?\:5@=\92??29\92CA6C\;@C52?\>44F==@F89\:?E6CG:6H\>FD:4\A=2?D^QmVp>6C:42? x5@=Vi w2??29 U2>Aj y@C52?VD uFEFC6 !=2?D U2>Aj |@C6 #6G62=65k^2mk^9bmk^5:Gmk^5:Gm

kAm~7 4@FCD6[ E92E 6?565 FA A2J:?8 @77[ 3642FD6 y@C52? >256 :E 2== E96 H2J E@ E96 7:?2=6 E9:D E:>6 2C@F?5] w6 7:?:D965 :? D64@?5 A=246 369:?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^A6@A=6^92??29\92CA6C^Qmw2??29 w2CA6Ck^2m] p?5 ?@H E92E E96 D9@H :D @G6C[ y@C52? :D =@@<:?8 7@CH2C5 E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^`aec`ff^2>6C:42?\:5@=\7:?2=:DED\4>2\76DE\A6C7@C>2?46\2??@F?46>6?E\92??29\92CA6C^QmH92E’D ?6IEk^2m]k^Am

kAm“x 5:5?’E C62==J 4@?D:56C >JD6=7 2? 2CE:DE 367@C6 2== E9:D 92AA6?65[” 96 25>:EE65] “x ;FDE H2?E65 E@ 2F5:E:@? 7@C k6>mp>6C:42? x5@=k^6>m] x ?6G6C :? 2 >:==:@? J62CD 6IA64E65 E@ 36 E9:D 72C :? E96 D9@H] $@ H92E x <66A 962C:?8 @G6C E96 =2DE 76H 52JD :D[ ‘#625J @C ?@E[ :E’D 96C6]’ $@[ ‘@C ?@E’ :D H96C6 x’> 2E[ 3FE x’> 6I4:E65 E@ D66 H92E E96 7FEFC6 9@=5D] x’> 6I4:E65 E@ 86E :? E96 DEF5:@ 2?5 DE2CE >2<:?8 D@>6 >FD:4] !6@A=6 C62==J H2?E :E] x C62==J H2?E :E] %92E’D H92E x’> =@@<:?8 7@CH2C5 E@]”k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8m|@C6 w625=:?6Dik^DEC@?8mk^Am

kF=mk=:mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^`aeccf`^?2E2=:6\>@C2=6D\2=K96:>6CD\43D\?6HD\:?E6CG:6H^Qmrq$ }6HD’ }2E2=:6 |@C2=6D %2=<D qC2:? w62=E9 p7E6C p=K96:>6C’D $9@4<k^2mk^=:mk=:mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^`aeccee^2>6C:42?\:5@=\;@C52?\>44F==@F89\E96\G@:46\C6;64E:@?\2F5:E:@?\:?E6CG:6H^Qm‘p>6C:42? x5@=’i y@C52? |4rF==@F89 @? w@H ‘%96 '@:46’ #6;64E:@? $92A65 w:D pF5:E:@?k^2mk^=:mk=:mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^`aeccdh^7@I\?6HD\>2C:2\32CE:C@>@\=@D6D\:E\27E6C\8F6DE\>2<6D\@32>2\ECF>A\4@>A2C:D@?^Qmu@I }6HD’ |2C:2 q2CE:C@>@ {@D6D xE p7E6C vF6DE |2<6D ~32>2 U2>Aj %CF>A r@>A2C:D@?k^2mk^=:mk=:mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^`aeccdf^4C:>:?2=\>:?5D\6G@=FE:@?\4@??@C\DE@CC:6\492C24E6C\56E2:=D\6A:D@56\4@F?E^Qm‘rC:>:?2= |:?5Di tG@=FE:@?’ q@DD #6G62=D w@H r@??@C $E@CC:6’D !6C7@C>2?46 {65 E@ q:8 r92?86k^2mk^=:mk=:mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EG:?D:56C]4@>^`adgcf`^C:G2=D\D62D@?\a\52G:5\E6??2?E\2=6I\92DD6==\2:52?\EFC?6C\6I4=FD:G6^Qm‘#:G2=D’i s2G:5 %6??2?E[ p=6I w2DD6== U2>Aj p:52? %FC?6C %62D6 |@C6 $42?52=D U2>Aj #@>2?46k^2mk^=:mk^F=m