03/13/25
Former ÃÈÃÃÊÓƵ student Isaiah Moore to appear on American Idol
GADSDEN, AL – Former ÃÈÃÃÊÓƵ student Isaiah Moore will appear on ABC’s “American Idol” at 7 p.m. CST Sunday. The 22-year-old Springville native has gained attention for a musical journey that has led him from local stages to the national spotlight.
“This is such an exciting time in my life,” Moore said. “It was a surreal moment to stand in front of such legendary judges and perform for them. The entire experience was a large bag of emotions – nervousness, excitement and pure joy. I’m beyond grateful for this opportunity.”
Moore’s love for music began at a young age when he sang along to the radio during car rides with his grandmother. In middle school, he excelled at playing the trumpet and eventually learned to play the guitar and piano. Eventually, Moore formed a duo called Southbound Music with high school friend, Caden Mobley. They currently perform in various Alabama cities, including Trussville, Gadsden, Auburn, Tuscaloosa and Montgomery.
Moore was exposed to the ÃÈÃÃÊÓƵ Show Band during a performance at his high school. The Show Band performs a variety of styles, including contemporary big band, rhythm and blues, country, rock and roll and New Orleans brass. Moore was instantly hooked. He met with Dr. Matt Leder, former director of the show band, and was awarded a trumpet scholarship.
He enrolled at ÃÈÃÃÊÓƵ in the fall of 2020 but initially struggled with the shift to online classes due to the COVID pandemic.
“At first, college was tough,” he said. “Studying online wasn’t the right environment for me at the time.”
He returned to ÃÈÃÃÊÓƵ in 2022 and became even more immersed in the music program, particularly enjoying his time at Wallace Hall, the home of the Fine Arts Program.
“The music hall is one of my favorite places to be,” he said. “I enjoyed performing with a great group of people. There was always something going on. I was always surrounded by music.”
Moore decided to join the vocal groups at ÃÈÃÃÊÓƵ and earned another scholarship. He performed with the ÃÈÃÃÊÓƵ A Cappella Choir, a group that performs an array of selections in the choral genre, and the ÃÈÃÃÊÓƵ Singers, a performance-based group that sings contemporary pieces. Both groups are directed by J.T. Harrell. He also remained with the Show Band as a vocalist.
While Moore is currently taking a break from coursework to focus on “American Idol” and his full-time job as the worship leader at Redeemer Community Church, he plans to return to ÃÈÃÃÊÓƵ to earn an associate degree in general studies. He hopes to become a music educator to inspire young musicians like he was inspired by Leder and Harrell as well Susan DiBiase, a music theory instructor, and Chris McCurley, sound engineer at the College.
“ÃÈÃÃÊÓƵ has made a great impact on me primarily due to the support and encouragement I received from the faculty and staff,” he said. “Mr. Harrell is a great mentor; a great instructor. I give him the highest praise for what he does and what everyone in the Music Department does for students.”
Moore’s “American Idol” journey began with a virtual audition on Aug. 23, his 22nd birthday. After signing up for the audition several times in the past but “chickening out,” it was his wife, Abby, who encouraged him to go through with it.
“My wife sent me the link and pushed me to do it,” he said. “I woke up that morning and decided that it was finally time for me to audition.”
He said 150 people were participating in the virtual audition, all of them just waiting to be heard.
“I’m impatient,” he said. “I told Abby that I wasn’t going to wait all day. The Lord must have heard me say that because two minutes later, I was put in a private virtual room to sing for a producer.”
Moore thought he was just going to sing a few lines from “Wanna Be Loved” by the Red Clay Strays but he ended up singing it in its entirety. He was then asked to sing a second song – “Where the Wild Things Are” by Luke Combs
“They liked what they heard and told me I was going to the Winner’s Circle, which was another virtual audition,” he said. “This time I performed for an executive producer.”
He said the Winner’s Circle was a more personal experience that included about 20 other singers. Producers asked questions to learn more about him as a person. The group sang Happy Birthday to him before he again sang the Luke Combs tune. Because he told them he was a worship leader, they asked him to sing a gospel piece.
“That threw me for a loop, but I was prepared and sang ‘Greater Still’ by Brandon Lake,” he said.
Moore then found out that he made it to the live auditions in Nashville in front of celebrity judges Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan and Carrie Underwood
“This all happened in four hours,” he said. “It was a whirlwind.”
Though he was excited to go to Nashville, he and Abby, who got married Oct. 26, had to cancel their honeymoon cruise to attend the live auditions. In Nashville, they were joined by Moore’s grandparents, brother and pastor as well as Abby’s siblings and parents. They sat there all day and waited on his turn to take the stage.
“On Nov. 4, we made it inside the hotel at 9 a.m. and my audition time didn’t happen until 9 p.m that night,” he said. “I was the second to last person to audition that day.”
Moore performed “Where the Wild Things Are” again and dedicated it to his brother, who was unable to be at the audition.
“I’m a sucker for a Luke Combs song,” he said. “It’s a story about a man who is missing his brother after he moved to California to live a different lifestyle. It’s a great song. If a song can tell a good story that will make you cry, it’s perfect. I’ve cried many times listening to this song. It’s also vocally challenging.”
Though he was prepared for the audition, Moore said he was very nervous.
“It was a lot of excitement but also nerves,” he said. “I was nervous because I really wanted to perform well. My wife and family really believe in me, and I don’t ever want to let them down.”
He said performing in front of the celebrity judges was a blur.
“I blacked out the first half of the audition but towards the end, I gained some confidence,” he said. “It helped when I realized that the judges really care about you; they cared about what I was saying to them. They are so down to earth. All of the judges were wonderful to me.”
Moore said he looks forward to seeing the audition Sunday night.
“There are parts of the audition experience that I don’t remember so I’m excited to see how it all played out,” he said. “I’m super excited about people seeing my audition and hearing my story. I’m looking forward to it.”
To learn more about ÃÈÃÃÊÓƵ’s performance groups, visit .
Isaiah Moore hugs wife, Abby, during the live auditions for “American Idol” in Nashville. Isaiah, a former student at ÃÈÃÃÊÓƵ, will perform on Sunday’s episode of “American Idol.”
Isaiah Moore Ana Alliah Williams perform with the ÃÈÃÃÊÓƵ Singers during a 2023 performance. Moore will perform on Sunday’s episode of “American Idol.”