One Texan won ‘American Idol.’ Another’s chasing that dream.

In 2002, a new singing competition show called American Idol crowned its first winner, a Texan by the name of Kelly Clarkson. Now, a fresh face from the Lone Star State, Jakob Stobaugh of Schertz, will take his shot at winning the first-place prize of a record deal and a six-figure cash reward.

The 25-year-old has made it to the live audition round for the television show, where he’ll sing in front of judges Carrie Underwood (an American Idol winner herself), Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. Stobaugh tells MySA he’s been performing professionally since he was 12 or 13, though he’s been singing his whole life. When he’s not managing Bracken Guns on San Antonio’s Far Northside, he’s gigging with his current band, Jake N Rae.

He’d always wanted to be on a show like American Idol, but had never had the confidence to apply. That changed one night after a gig, Stobaugh said.

“Me and my buddy … we got bored of telling ourselves we were going to do it and then never doing it. So one day after a show, we just got the gumption up,” Stobaugh said. They recorded a video on TikTok, and later, a producer for the show reached out to him to audition.

A few weeks ago, he did just that, singing “When I Call Your Name” by Vince Gill, “I Wrote the Book” by Morgan Wallen and “Tennessee Whiskey” by Chris Stapleton. When he got the call that he’d made it to the show, Stobaugh said he was “ecstatic,” noting it was “probably the most excited I’ve been in 10 years … first time I’ve cried over news, like, probably ever.” 

To help cover travel, lodging and more on his way to American Idol, Stobaugh has raised more than $2,500 of his $3,000 GoFundMe goal in six days. Stobaugh will travel to Tennessee in early November for the live round of auditions. He said he’s feeling excited, but has a “healthy fear” of wanting to do his best and have some longevity on the show. If Stobaugh were to win, he would be the first Texan to do so since Clarkson (Season 7 winner David Cook was born in Houston, but he was raised in Missouri after moving there at a young age).

“Just being able to be on the show, show people kind of like, hey, San Antonio’s got the artists. Texas itself is a hub for country music,” Stobaugh said. “So I feel like if I can get far in the show, it’d be a good kind of, ‘Hey, look at my city, and look at what my state can do.'”

San Antonio native aims to represent Texas on the ‘American Idol’ stage

If you haven’t watched American Idol in a minute, here’s a refresher on how advancement works. Stobaugh’s next step is to audition in front of the judges, where he has the chance to move to the live competition. During the live competition, contestants face a weekly vote where the public names their favorite singers. However, the panel of judges can choose to override those results and save a favorite contestant from elimination every week. The country crooner might have luck with the judging panel, as two out of the three are Nashville favorites.

“As far as, like, trying to get country music across to two people who are already staples in country music, it really just comes down to the grit behind my voice. Just the emotional side of things is where I’m hoping to connect with them,” Stobaugh said. He added that his strategy for advancing on the show comes from his outlook on music itself.

“It’s not so much a performance,” Stobaugh explained. “It’s more of just a … expression of your feelings that other people can see and express with you. And it’s more like a bonding experience. So with music, as long as I can feel a connection to it, I feel that’s the best way to move forward. Because if you feel it, other people are going to see it and feel it.”

A premiere date for American Idol Season 24 hasn’t been revealed, but past airing schedules would suggest an early 2026 start on ABC.

This article originally published at ‘Look at my city’: One Texan won ‘American Idol.’ Another’s chasing that dream..