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Daniel Stallworth is chasing a dream on “American Idol.” And he doesn’t want the ride to end anytime soon.
The Mississippi native is currently in the show’s Top 9, heading into the Monday, April 20, episode. The field is expected to narrow quickly in the coming weeks, with the season finale set for May.
On a scale of 1–10, Stallworth says he’s loving the experience “1,000%.”
Support from fans at home means a lot. Stallworth grew up in Moss Point, and he said seeing people across Mississippi support him makes him feel really special.
Stallworth moved to the Houston area a few months ago. He teaches music at River Pines Elementary School in Humble, Texas.
Past and current students are excited to see him on the show. Seeing how they believe in him “melts my heart,” he said.
As the competition intensifies, Stallworth said his focus is simple: keep advancing each week and keep showing “America my best.”
Here’s what to know about his time on “American Idol.”
What’s Stallworth’s favorite part of the show?
Working with celebrity mentors has been a highlight so far, Stallworth said.
He was recently paired with Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Week. Giraldo shared advice that stuck with him about handling nerves on stage.
Focus on a strong delivery, he was told. Don’t forget the audience entirely — just don’t let the pressure take over.
Stallworth added that time spent bonding with other contestants each week has also been a standout part of his experience.
What’s Stallworth’s favorite performance so far?
Stallworth said his favorite performance came during the March 16 episode, when he sang judge Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long.”
Becoming “Mr. ‘All Night Long’” was fun and unexpected. He said he especially loved seeing how much others enjoyed the song.
After the performance, Richie praised Stallworth for making the song his own.
“What that performance just showed me is you might be the best singer in this competition,” judge Luke Bryan said.
Richie later joked that he never expected to share ownership of his signature hit. He said people kept stopping him after that episode to talk about Stallworth’s performance.
“Now, you are ‘Mr. ‘All Night Long,’’” Richie told him.
He sang judge ‘s song “All Night Long” on the March 16 episode. It’s become his favorite performance of the season.
Being in Hawaii for Ohana rounds was “icing on the cake,” Stallworth said.
What’s the hardest part of ‘American Idol’?
Being strategic about song selection has been one of the biggest challenges, Stallworth said.
He recommends that anyone auditioning come prepared with a personal catalog of songs. There isn’t much time to learn new material each week.
Stallworth said he’d heard Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” many times and had played it with groups before, but learning it as a lead singer was new.
“You really have to lock in,” he said, noting that contestants often have just a few days to prepare.
The schedule leaves little room for downtime, including time with family.
“Be prepared for the lifestyle,” Stallworth said.
What Mississippi singers won American Idol?
Two “American Idol” winners are from Mississippi.
Jamal Roberts, of Meridian, won Season 23 in 2025. Trent Harmon, of Amory, took the Season 15 title in 2016. La’Porsha Renae, of McComb, was the Season 15 runner-up.
Several other Mississippi contestants have made deep runs on the show, including Colin Stough, of Gattman, who placed third in Season 21. Amory resident Zachariah Smith also reached the Top 5 that year.
Skylar Laine, of Jackson, was also a Top 5 finalist on Season 11.
When can you watch American Idol?
“American Idol” airs at 7 p.m. CT on Mondays on ABC. Episodes are available to stream the next day on Hulu.
How to vote for Daniel Stallworth up to 50 times per week
Voting is only open during live broadcasts of “American Idol.” It opens at the start of the show and closes during the final commercial break of the live simulcast.
Viewers can vote for each finalist up to 10 times per method, for a maximum of 50 total votes per week.
There are five ways to vote this season:
- Website: Vote at idolvote.abc.com
- Text: Send the number 4 to 21523
- Facebook: Comment “Daniel Stallworth” on American Idol’s official voting post
- Instagram: Comment his name on the official voting post
- TikTok: Comment his name on the pinned voting post
Social media voting posts will be pinned at the top of the show’s official accounts.
Stallworth said his name has to be spelled properly to count as a vote. Comments like “Danielx10” won’t count for 10 votes. Each one has to be separate.
The “American Idol” voting FAQ also explained that each comment only counts for one finalist. If you name multiple people, only the first one counts.
“I do want everybody to vote for me,” Stallworth laughed.
Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with USA TODAY Network. Email her at [email protected].
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.clarionledger.com ’
