Former Ripon Christian student impresses ‘American Idol’ judges
Former Ripon Christian High School student Maddy Hudson has been pegged as a possible superstar as she heads to Hollywood Week on the hit reality series “American Idol.”
The 17-year-old, who now lives in Pleasanton, earned her golden ticket to head to Hollywood after trying out for the popular singing competition and giving the judges goosebumps with her performance. She will be on the show again this week as one of more than 200 contestants selected to move ahead to the next stage.
Hollywood Week episodes air from 8 to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday on Fox.
Hudson took part in the San Francisco auditions, which filmed in October and aired in early January. She got up in front of returning season 14 judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. and sang a cover of “Resentment” by Beyoncé. Afterward, Connick told her she had “all of the ingredients to really be a superstar.” Lopez, who said she got goosebumps from Hudson’s singing, gushed, “I think she could win.”
Hudson, who was still 16 when she auditioned for the series, lived in the Central Valley with her family for about five years before moving to Pleasanton. She is being home-schooled for her senior year of high school. Her mother, Ashli Hudson, said the aspiring musician has been singing since she was 6 years old and performing in public since she was 12. For the past few years, she has busked around coffee shops and events in the Pleasanton area.
If Hudson makes it through Hollywood Week, she will be among 48 remaining contestants to take the stage for the Idol Showcase filmed at the House of Blues. After that, the series narrows the field to its top 24 semifinalists, and the public voting rounds will begin.
The winner will be revealed live March 19.
Hudson will have a free meet-and-greet for friends and fans from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the The Grant Bar & Lounge, 2706 Pavilion Parkway, Tracy. She will perform before the show airs.
For more on Hudson, visit her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MaddyHudsonMusic or her YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/Maddyhudson2012.
Bee staff writer Marijke Rowland can be reached at mrowland@modbee.com or (209) 578-2284. Follow her on Twitter @marijkerowland.
This story was originally published February 4, 2015 at 2:20 PM with the headline "Former Ripon Christian student impresses ‘American Idol’ judges."