{"id":17160,"date":"2026-03-29T19:04:29","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T19:04:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/?p=17160"},"modified":"2026-03-29T19:04:29","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T19:04:29","slug":"small-town-singer-chris-tungseth-shocks-american-idol-with-emotional-rise-into-top-20-spotlight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/?p=17160","title":{"rendered":"Small Town Singer Chris Tungseth Shocks American Idol With Emotional Rise Into Top 20 Spotlight"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The \u201cAmerican Idol\u201d judges awarded Chris Tungseth a \u201cGolden Ticket\u201d after his audition in Nashville, Tenn. Tungseth performed \u201cLonely Road,\u201d a song he wrote in memory of his late father. The \u201cGolden Ticket\u201d advanced the 27-year-old to the next round of the show.<\/p>\n<p>Chris Tungseth, a blue-collar construction worker from Fergus Falls, takes the stage in Hawaii Monday night hoping to vault to the next round of competition on the reality show \u201cAmerican Idol.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-2\"><ins id=\"982a9496-0ac858e9ac7a68d70c164658dfa491fa-2-5430\" class=\"982a9496\" data-key=\"0ac858e9ac7a68d70c164658dfa491fa\"><ins id=\"982a9496-0ac858e9ac7a68d70c164658dfa491fa-2-5430-1\"><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3619133031508264\" data-ad-slot=\"9892317758\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\" data-adsbygoogle-status=\"done\" data-ad-status=\"unfilled\"><\/p>\n<div id=\"aswift_14_host\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"aswift_14\" tabindex=\"0\" title=\"Advertisement\" src=\"https:\/\/googleads.g.doubleclick.net\/pagead\/ads?client=ca-pub-3619133031508264&amp;output=html&amp;h=390&amp;slotname=9892317758&amp;adk=1056369044&amp;adf=473623697&amp;pi=t.ma~as.9892317758&amp;w=390&amp;lmt=1774810908&amp;rafmt=1&amp;format=390x390&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fqnewscenter.com%2Fhongcalifornia%2Fsmall-town-singer-chris-tungseth-shocks-american-idol-with-emotional-rise-into-top-20-spotlight%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQKNjYyODU2ODM3OQABHpRSzftQbJft6OqO2OFTnd9jr5J-mlDdoAiHcosDJCJLmmSuZ2aZcVMEXJVT_aem_3QN5AE5cfenaqqp1P0g0qQ%23goog_fullscreen_ad&amp;fwr=1&amp;fwrattr=true&amp;rpe=1&amp;resp_fmts=3&amp;sfro=1&amp;aiof=9&amp;asro=0&amp;aiapmd=0.0001&amp;aiapmid=0.0001&amp;aiactd=0&amp;aicctd=0&amp;ailctd=0&amp;aimartd=4&amp;aieuf=1&amp;aicrs=1&amp;abgtt=6&amp;dt=1774810908829&amp;bpp=1&amp;bdt=4314&amp;idt=1&amp;shv=r20260326&amp;mjsv=m202603260101&amp;ptt=9&amp;saldr=aa&amp;abxe=1&amp;cookie=ID%3Ddd5ef9ca1d5f8b13%3AT%3D1774810905%3ART%3D1774810905%3AS%3DALNI_MbznO0BZAnWsTPn8NOlcy9QkdAONw&amp;gpic=UID%3D00001395705d0aa0%3AT%3D1774810905%3ART%3D1774810905%3AS%3DALNI_MaReJP49UVy6MQIsmeQUm7cGEnzHg&amp;eo_id_str=ID%3Db4214cb046d1e95e%3AT%3D1774810905%3ART%3D1774810905%3AS%3DAA-AfjYVb7qz16anG1NDQyjJaGns&amp;prev_fmts=0x0%2C390x677%2C390x98%2C390x390%2C390x677%2C390x390%2C390x390&amp;nras=4&amp;correlator=401442948260&amp;frm=20&amp;pv=1&amp;u_tz=120&amp;u_his=2&amp;u_h=844&amp;u_w=390&amp;u_ah=844&amp;u_aw=390&amp;u_cd=24&amp;u_sd=3&amp;adx=0&amp;ady=1349&amp;biw=390&amp;bih=677&amp;scr_x=0&amp;scr_y=128&amp;eid=31097486%2C42533293%2C95383644%2C95386957%2C31061690&amp;oid=2&amp;psts=AOrYGslj1KM4QUshYW7lvQVuay2phvBlYl1U7B2DmqPlcBR4gS6kPdYHWFQ3lowQ61xwgDsTxBHIMwiR7HJosnlfHmCHdMuzoqgIHOowD7XeclGG3SgBTSqUnnjoPGSm8oJc7bA&amp;pvsid=5373636568215801&amp;tmod=1497503435&amp;uas=1&amp;nvt=1&amp;ref=http%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2F&amp;fc=1920&amp;brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C390%2C0%2C390%2C677%2C390%2C677&amp;vis=1&amp;rsz=%7C%7CeEbr%7C&amp;abl=CS&amp;pfx=0&amp;fu=128&amp;bc=31&amp;bz=1&amp;ifi=15&amp;uci=a!f&amp;btvi=4&amp;fsb=1&amp;dtd=4\" name=\"aswift_14\" width=\"390\" height=\"0\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" sandbox=\"allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation\" data-google-container-id=\"a!f\" aria-label=\"Advertisement\" data-load-complete=\"true\" data-google-query-id=\"CMmfmO7lxZMDFRgOogMdsy4dPw\" data-origwidth=\"390\" data-origheight=\"0\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><\/ins><\/ins><\/ins><\/div>\n<p>And what makes his accomplishment all the more remarkable, is that Tungseth, who grew up singing for fun, never planned to try out for the show. But fate stepped in when one of Tungseth\u2019s friends signed him up for it without telling him. That led to the 27-year-old scoring an audition and eventually becoming an \u201cAmerican Idol\u201d contestant.<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-3\"><ins id=\"982a9496-f3ab4b7ad70ef8d37790ed7b09e7a082-3-1378\" class=\"982a9496\" data-key=\"f3ab4b7ad70ef8d37790ed7b09e7a082\"><ins id=\"982a9496-f3ab4b7ad70ef8d37790ed7b09e7a082-3-1378-1\"><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3619133031508264\" data-ad-slot=\"5241808069\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\" data-adsbygoogle-status=\"done\" data-ad-status=\"unfilled\"><\/p>\n<div id=\"aswift_13_host\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"aswift_13\" tabindex=\"0\" title=\"Advertisement\" src=\"https:\/\/googleads.g.doubleclick.net\/pagead\/ads?client=ca-pub-3619133031508264&amp;output=html&amp;h=390&amp;slotname=5241808069&amp;adk=3334247783&amp;adf=820538690&amp;pi=t.ma~as.5241808069&amp;w=390&amp;lmt=1774810908&amp;rafmt=1&amp;format=390x390&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fqnewscenter.com%2Fhongcalifornia%2Fsmall-town-singer-chris-tungseth-shocks-american-idol-with-emotional-rise-into-top-20-spotlight%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQKNjYyODU2ODM3OQABHpRSzftQbJft6OqO2OFTnd9jr5J-mlDdoAiHcosDJCJLmmSuZ2aZcVMEXJVT_aem_3QN5AE5cfenaqqp1P0g0qQ%23goog_fullscreen_ad&amp;fwr=1&amp;fwrattr=true&amp;rpe=1&amp;resp_fmts=3&amp;sfro=1&amp;aiof=9&amp;asro=0&amp;aiapmd=0.0001&amp;aiapmid=0.0001&amp;aiactd=0&amp;aicctd=0&amp;ailctd=0&amp;aimartd=4&amp;aieuf=1&amp;aicrs=1&amp;abgtt=6&amp;dt=1774810908822&amp;bpp=1&amp;bdt=4307&amp;idt=1&amp;shv=r20260326&amp;mjsv=m202603260101&amp;ptt=9&amp;saldr=aa&amp;abxe=1&amp;cookie=ID%3Ddd5ef9ca1d5f8b13%3AT%3D1774810905%3ART%3D1774810905%3AS%3DALNI_MbznO0BZAnWsTPn8NOlcy9QkdAONw&amp;gpic=UID%3D00001395705d0aa0%3AT%3D1774810905%3ART%3D1774810905%3AS%3DALNI_MaReJP49UVy6MQIsmeQUm7cGEnzHg&amp;eo_id_str=ID%3Db4214cb046d1e95e%3AT%3D1774810905%3ART%3D1774810905%3AS%3DAA-AfjYVb7qz16anG1NDQyjJaGns&amp;prev_fmts=0x0%2C390x677%2C390x98%2C390x390%2C390x677%2C390x390&amp;nras=4&amp;correlator=401442948260&amp;frm=20&amp;pv=1&amp;u_tz=120&amp;u_his=2&amp;u_h=844&amp;u_w=390&amp;u_ah=844&amp;u_aw=390&amp;u_cd=24&amp;u_sd=3&amp;adx=0&amp;ady=1598&amp;biw=390&amp;bih=677&amp;scr_x=0&amp;scr_y=128&amp;eid=31097486%2C42533293%2C95383644%2C95386957%2C31061690&amp;oid=2&amp;psts=AOrYGslj1KM4QUshYW7lvQVuay2phvBlYl1U7B2DmqPlcBR4gS6kPdYHWFQ3lowQ61xwgDsTxBHIMwiR7HJosnlfHmCHdMuzoqgIHOowD7XeclGG3SgBTSqUnnjoPGSm8oJc7bA&amp;pvsid=5373636568215801&amp;tmod=1497503435&amp;uas=1&amp;nvt=1&amp;ref=http%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2F&amp;fc=1920&amp;brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C390%2C0%2C390%2C677%2C390%2C677&amp;vis=1&amp;rsz=%7C%7CeEbr%7C&amp;abl=CS&amp;pfx=0&amp;fu=128&amp;bc=31&amp;bz=1&amp;ifi=14&amp;uci=a!e&amp;btvi=3&amp;fsb=1&amp;dtd=4\" name=\"aswift_13\" width=\"390\" height=\"0\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" sandbox=\"allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation\" data-google-container-id=\"a!e\" aria-label=\"Advertisement\" data-load-complete=\"true\" data-google-query-id=\"CLvtl-7lxZMDFTUOogMdwSEu4A\" data-origwidth=\"390\" data-origheight=\"0\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><\/ins><\/ins><\/ins><\/div>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m just a kid from Fergus Falls, Minnesota. I mean, small school, kind of small colleges, I never thought that this would ever happen, especially when you watch it as a kid,\u201d Tungseth said. \u201cIt just doesn\u2019t seem like real life, you know? And so, being a part of it, I\u2019ve been telling everyone, honestly, it feels like a dream, like, how is this even my life?\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"figure figure-none figure-full\"><figcaption class=\"figure_caption\">\n<div class=\"figure_text\">American Idol\u201d host Ryan Seacrest (left to right) joins judges Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, for the 24th season of the show.<\/div>\n<div class=\"figure_credit\">Courtesy of Eric McCandless | Disney<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>So far, Tungseth has gotten to sing on three televised performances in front of \u201cAmerican Idol\u201d judges Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan. And they recently advanced him as one of the top 20 finalists.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere was a lot of joy, but there was also an element of relief. Like, \u2018Oh, they saw me, they connect with me, they see something in me,\u201d Tungseth said. So it\u2019s just like \u2026 a boost of confidence, and it was just such a gift to \u2026 be in that position, and for them to push me into the top 20.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One of the songs Tungseth performed in the early going was the English electronic musician Labrinth\u2019s ballad \u201cJealous.\u201d He said it\u2019s partly a breakup song, but it also speaks to some of the tragedies in his life. Tungseth\u2019s father died in 2023 from leukemia, and his mother is currently living in a nursing home because of multiple sclerosis.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"figure figure-none figure-full\"><picture class=\"\" data-testid=\"picture\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/img.apmcdn.org\/ccd916a4be8390cb744fa995c5c4e9e8a290e095\/uncropped\/39e6f3-20260319-chris-tungseth-american-idol-01-webp400.webp%20400w,https:\/\/img.apmcdn.org\/ccd916a4be8390cb744fa995c5c4e9e8a290e095\/uncropped\/165d88-20260319-chris-tungseth-american-idol-01-webp600.webp%20600w,https:\/\/img.apmcdn.org\/ccd916a4be8390cb744fa995c5c4e9e8a290e095\/uncropped\/245424-20260319-chris-tungseth-american-idol-01-webp1000.webp%201000w,https:\/\/img.apmcdn.org\/ccd916a4be8390cb744fa995c5c4e9e8a290e095\/uncropped\/ca3efe-20260319-chris-tungseth-american-idol-01-webp1400.webp%201400w,https:\/\/img.apmcdn.org\/ccd916a4be8390cb744fa995c5c4e9e8a290e095\/uncropped\/564c6b-20260319-chris-tungseth-american-idol-01-webp2000.webp%202000w\" type=\"image\/webp\" sizes=\"(max-width: 47.999em) 99vw, 66vw\" data-testid=\"webp\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/img.apmcdn.org\/ccd916a4be8390cb744fa995c5c4e9e8a290e095\/uncropped\/b97800-20260319-chris-tungseth-american-idol-01-400.jpg%20400w,https:\/\/img.apmcdn.org\/ccd916a4be8390cb744fa995c5c4e9e8a290e095\/uncropped\/e281b7-20260319-chris-tungseth-american-idol-01-600.jpg%20600w,https:\/\/img.apmcdn.org\/ccd916a4be8390cb744fa995c5c4e9e8a290e095\/uncropped\/5a1629-20260319-chris-tungseth-american-idol-01-1000.jpg%201000w,https:\/\/img.apmcdn.org\/ccd916a4be8390cb744fa995c5c4e9e8a290e095\/uncropped\/9d6719-20260319-chris-tungseth-american-idol-01-1400.jpg%201400w,https:\/\/img.apmcdn.org\/ccd916a4be8390cb744fa995c5c4e9e8a290e095\/uncropped\/234d31-20260319-chris-tungseth-american-idol-01-2000.jpg%202000w\" type=\"image\/jpeg\" sizes=\"(max-width: 47.999em) 99vw, 66vw\" data-testid=\"notwebp\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/img.apmcdn.org\/ccd916a4be8390cb744fa995c5c4e9e8a290e095\/uncropped\/e281b7-20260319-chris-tungseth-american-idol-01-600.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a black t-shirt holds a guitar and a microphone.\" \/><\/picture><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure figure-none figure-full\"><figcaption class=\"figure_caption\">\n<div class=\"figure_text\">Chris Tungseth performed \u201cIris\u201d by the Goo Goo Dolls to secure his top 20 spot on \u201cAmerican Idol.\u201d<\/div>\n<div class=\"figure_credit\">Courtesy of Eric McCandless | Disney<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In a clip shown on the show before his performance, Tungseth told his mother he listened to the song \u201cafter losing dad,\u201d and it made him think of her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause there\u2019s parts in that song where it\u2019s like, \u2018I\u2019m jealous of the rain that falls upon your skin,\u2019\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>His mother, wrought with emotion, told her son, \u201cShare your light.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Tungseth leaned into music to process what he was going through. But when the show started, he said he was hesitant to share those parts of his life publicly on \u201cAmerican Idol.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI never really wanted to use the tragedy in my life to, you know, necessarily help me with my career,\u201d he said. \u201cThat was one thing that I guess I was fearful of.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"figure figure-none figure-full\"><picture class=\"\" data-testid=\"picture\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/img.apmcdn.org\/c85f8d34ed43a7faf7ca7465da51eaf78a253490\/uncropped\/a40d56-20260319-chris-tungseth-american-idol-03-webp400.webp%20400w,https:\/\/img.apmcdn.org\/c85f8d34ed43a7faf7ca7465da51eaf78a253490\/uncropped\/6681fa-20260319-chris-tungseth-american-idol-03-webp600.webp%20600w,https:\/\/img.apmcdn.org\/c85f8d34ed43a7faf7ca7465da51eaf78a253490\/uncropped\/15a0f4-20260319-chris-tungseth-american-idol-03-webp1000.webp%201000w,https:\/\/img.apmcdn.org\/c85f8d34ed43a7faf7ca7465da51eaf78a253490\/uncropped\/7785b3-20260319-chris-tungseth-american-idol-03-webp1400.webp%201400w,https:\/\/img.apmcdn.org\/c85f8d34ed43a7faf7ca7465da51eaf78a253490\/uncropped\/039f17-20260319-chris-tungseth-american-idol-03-webp2000.webp%202000w\" type=\"image\/webp\" sizes=\"(max-width: 47.999em) 99vw, 66vw\" data-testid=\"webp\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/img.apmcdn.org\/c85f8d34ed43a7faf7ca7465da51eaf78a253490\/uncropped\/8ead42-20260319-chris-tungseth-american-idol-03-400.jpg%20400w,https:\/\/img.apmcdn.org\/c85f8d34ed43a7faf7ca7465da51eaf78a253490\/uncropped\/73319f-20260319-chris-tungseth-american-idol-03-600.jpg%20600w,https:\/\/img.apmcdn.org\/c85f8d34ed43a7faf7ca7465da51eaf78a253490\/uncropped\/dbacd9-20260319-chris-tungseth-american-idol-03-1000.jpg%201000w,https:\/\/img.apmcdn.org\/c85f8d34ed43a7faf7ca7465da51eaf78a253490\/uncropped\/a46c6f-20260319-chris-tungseth-american-idol-03-1400.jpg%201400w,https:\/\/img.apmcdn.org\/c85f8d34ed43a7faf7ca7465da51eaf78a253490\/uncropped\/2ef292-20260319-chris-tungseth-american-idol-03-2000.jpg%202000w\" type=\"image\/jpeg\" sizes=\"(max-width: 47.999em) 99vw, 66vw\" data-testid=\"notwebp\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/img.apmcdn.org\/c85f8d34ed43a7faf7ca7465da51eaf78a253490\/uncropped\/73319f-20260319-chris-tungseth-american-idol-03-600.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a black t-shirt sits on the edge of a boat on a sandy beach.\" \/><\/picture><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"figure figure-none figure-full\"><figcaption class=\"figure_caption\">\n<div class=\"figure_text\">Chris Tungseth\u2019s next performance will be judged by the \u201cAmerican Idol\u201d viewers. Voting can be done through the show\u2019s official website, text messaging and\/or social media.<\/div>\n<div class=\"figure_credit\">Courtesy of Eric McCandless | Disney<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After finding the courage to share his vulnerabilities, Tungseth said he\u2019s received great feedback.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had people pouring into me, telling me, \u2018This is such a cool way for you to connect with other people who have been in really difficult situations and seasons in life,\u2019\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>As the son of a pastor, Tungseth said he grew up singing in church, and it was pretty much his only musical platform outside of some weddings and family gatherings. After hearing he would be auditioning for \u201cAmerican Idol\u201d he knew he had to get some gigs under his belt, so he tuned into the local music scene and started performing at open mics, bars and restaurants.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow I go from singing in front of 20 people, 50 people, 100 people, to thousands, and now millions,\u201d Tungseth said. \u201cIt\u2019s mind blowing. My brain can\u2019t comprehend what\u2019s happening. But it\u2019s honestly a blessing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One of the venues Tungseth performed at was Outstate Brewing Company in Fergus Falls, nestled on the banks of the Otter Tail River. It\u2019s also a place he worked at in the past. Pat Lundberg is its president and CEO. He said he was not surprised when Tungseth, who looks like a mythological Norseman, with his long hair, beard and tall stature, told him he was going to be on \u201cAmerican Idol.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The \u201cAmerican Idol\u201d judges awarded Chris Tungseth a \u201cGolden Ticket\u201d after his audition in Nashville, Tenn. Tungseth performed \u201cLonely Road,\u201d a song he wrote in memory of&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17161,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17160","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17160"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17160\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17162,"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17160\/revisions\/17162"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/17161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}