Freddie McClendon Stunned by ‘Idol’ Cast’s Continued Support After ‘Heart-Wrenching’ Audition

Months after he auditioned in front of Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Carrie Underwood for season 23 of “American Idol,” Freddie McClendon is amazed by the continued support he’s received from the show’s cast.

The 19-year-old’s touching audition aired on the ABC show on March 23, 2025. McClendon played an original song called “You Didn’t Love Him,” about his dad, a South Carolina marketing executive who was murdered in 2023. The college student’s tune left the judging panel nearly speechless, with tears rolling down Underwood’s face.

Davis McClendon’s death at age 46 made national headlines as police pieced together the crime. According to USA Today, his girlfriend’s estranged husband intentionally hit and killed Davis McClendon with his pickup truck before fleeing the scene. In October, a jury found the suspect guilty and a judge sentenced him to 45 years in prison, per the Index-Journal.

During Freddie McClendon’s audition, he said he hoped to show the world that his dad’s life story “was something so much bigger than just the true-crime story of the week.” Since the episode’s airing, in which the young singer received a golden ticket to Hollywood, he has been flooded with support — including from members of his new “Idol family.”

Luke Bryan Called Freddie McClendon a ‘Modern-Day Paul Simon’

After McClendon’s vulnerable audition, Underwood’s voice cracked with emotion as she told him, “It’s so brave of you to decide that you want to choose the narrative (and) that you want to remember him — him, not what happened, but him. And you must have just an incredibly supportive family and you guys lean on each other.”

Producers then showed his sisters, standing with their mom outside the audition room, as one said through tears, “This is, like, a huge deal for him and for us, too.”

The judges showered McClendon with praise, with Underwood telling him there was “something super cool and throwback” about his voice and Bryan equating his “honest approach” to a “modern-day Paul Simon.”

“You were able to translate that emotion, that feeling, to the point where you moved people,” Richie told him, “and that’s what you’re in this business to do.”

‘American Idol’ Cast Members Tweeted More Praise for Freddie McClendon as His Episode Aired

While McClendon and his family were thrilled by the judges’ affirmations at the time of his audition, he was blown away that they continued to support him as his appearance aired on March 23, sharing screenshots of their social media comments in an Instagram post the following day.

He shared that Underwood tweeted, “Freddie is such an old soul but he’s the life of the party at the same time! He’s got a cool “crooner” style with a modern edge…such a touching story…incredible bravery…I’m so glad he shared all of that with us.”

The next slide showed Bryan’s tweet, which said, “Thank you Freddie for being brave enough to come on Idol and share your family’s story. That big smile and that nice family. Freddie and the McClendon family are heading to Hollywood”

McClendon also shared a tweet from host Ryan Seacrest that said, “Freddie McClendon’s heart-wrenching tribute to his dad is a powerful reminder that love transcends loss”

“I cannot thank the #idolfamily for all of the love,” McClendon captioned his post. “Thank you to the judges, to Ryan, and to everyone in upstate South Carolina that made this possible. We’re going to Hollywood ⭐️🧡⭐️”

The final auditions of season 23 will air on March 30, while Hollywood Week begins the next night, on March 31, starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time on ABC both nights.