Amarillo Singer Advances to Hollywood on American Idol

It's one of the most famous reality shows on television, and now, Amarillo has a reason to tune in. American Idol has been a part of our lives for 24 years now. It's given us some of our biggest stars in music and entertainment.

Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Daughtry are just a few of the ones who have sustained success from the show. So many more have been discovered because of the show and have gone on to have plenty of success, such as Jennifer Hudson and Adam Lambert. Now, Amarillo could have a star of its own.

Amarillo Musician Tries Out For American Idol

His name is Cameron James Smith, and there is a good chance you've heard his music around town. Cameron plays at a lot of different bars & restaurants in the Amarillo & Canyon areas, but those gigs might be getting a bit bigger.

Smith, like many musicians, has a dream of making it big. They want those sold-out tours, platinum records, and everything that comes with it. Well, Smith decided not to sit on his hands. He hopped a plane to Nashville and tried out for American Idol.

From Amarillo To Hollywood

At his audition, he performed Journey's hit "Faithfully" and an original he wrote titled "Knew Me When". After performing in front of icons Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan, Smith heard the words he was hoping for.

He was headed to Hollywood! Was it unanimous? No, he got two of the three judges to send him through, but that's all he would need. How hard is it to get to Hollywood? Well, there were more than 100,000 who auditioned...and only 127 of them advanced to Hollywood. Smith was one of them.

Local Gigs In Amarillo & Canyon

Even with Hollywood on the horizon, you have a chance to catch Smith perform before he jets off and makes Amarillo proud.

He's slated to play at Walk-On's in Amarillo from 6-8 pm on March 17th, then he will slide down to Canyon to play at WT Sports Grill on Marth 27th from 8-11 pm. A trip to Lubbock awaits after that to perform at The Crush Pad on March 28th from 3-5 pm.

Good luck in Hollywood, Cameron! Amarillo (and all surrounding cities) are pulling for ya!