A singer from South Shields who will support Robbie Williams in just a few months time has become a Stateside sensation, thanks to his amazing audition for American Idol, which saw him blow Lionel Richie away with a cover of one of the music icon;’s classic hits.
There was a lot of excitement on Tyneside in the autumn when it was announced that Come Together, the ‘biggest ever festival’ to arrive in the city, would be taking over the famous Town Moor in June and, as well as global star Robbie Williams being on the line-up for opening night on June 4, he will be joined by Sonny Tennet, a musician from South Tyneside who has been making waves in the industry over the last decade and is now causing a splash on the other side of the Atlantic.
A huge audience were already glued to their screens in the USA, thanks to this year’s Oscars being on, ensuring that millions were watching as Sonny picked up his guitar and walked into the audition room to sing in front of not only Commodores legend Lionel, but also former American Idol winner and country superstar Carrie Underwood and fellow country icon Luke Bryan.
And not shying away from taking on a challenge, Sonny aimed to impress Lionel with a song the 75-year-old knows very well, Easy, which was a hit the world over in the 70s and is still very much a staple of his setlists when he goes out on tour.
Joined by girlfriend Louise, who also made the trip from Shields to the States, Sonny got a huge seal of approval from Lionel Ritchie, who tld him: ““You made my song your song,” while Before He Cheats singer Carrie told him he had her ‘heart aflutter.’
Sonny’s flawless performance meant he was a dead cert to be put through the next round in Hollywood and he will be hoping to emulate the success of Country Durham born musician McKenzie Sol, who made it all the way to the top 20 last year.
Sonny was a huge hit on home turf last month when he joined Newcastle’s own Andrew Cushin at the press launch of Come Together, to perform original tracks, as well as a stunning cover of Whitney Houston’s I Have Nothing, which you can watch in the video above. Before Come Together, he is embarking on a UK tour, which will see him play the likes of London, Manchester, Birmingham and Newcastle.
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