Madison man wins golden ticket to 'American Idol' Hollywood round

Madison man wins golden ticket to 'American Idol' Hollywood round

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Madison’s Conner Ball earned a golden ticket to the “American Idol” Hollywood round this season but it is unclear if his audition, recorded last fall, or his performance in Hollywood will air this season.

Ball announced on his Facebook timeline that back-to-back episodes of “American Idol” featuring him in front of celebrity judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan could be airing on ABC at 7 p.m. Sunday, March 21, or Monday, March 22, but he is not sure.

Later Ball said he is doubtful if his audition would be featured, saying he believes the Hollywood rounds air Sunday and Monday.

For his audition, Ball sang “Falling” by Harry Styles, in front of the show’s judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan to earn the golden ticket.

“Getting a Golden Ticket was a huge deal for me. I had no idea what the judges were going to think of my voice and my story,” Ball said. “The fact that all three of them said yes and gave me a golden ticket to Hollywood was surreal.”

He said meeting the other contestants and seeing how everyone supported and appreciated each other’s talent was a great experience and he had a good, genuine conversation with the judges.

“They asked me about who I am and what I do, listened to me sing, then gave some really encouraging feedback. I appreciated that they wanted to know the real me,” he said.

Ball, who currently lives in Madison with his wife, Carrie, is a second-year medical student at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. According to an article on the UMMC website, Ball recorded a song during his first year at UMMC that made rounds among the faculty and staff at the university, and many were impressed with his talent.

Ball has also studied biology, chemistry and Spanish at the University of Mississippi, and is a former medical assistant at the Eli Manning Children’s Clinic at Children’s of Mississippi.

Along with his medical experience, Ball has a verified Spotify account that has more than 1,500 active listeners. He started playing guitar with his cousins when he was just 10 years old.






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