Luke Bryan says Carrie Underwood’s showing her ‘sweet, kind soul’ as an ‘Idol’ judge

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Disney/Frank Micelotta

My, how the tables have turned: Carrie Underwood won the fourth season of American Idol back in 2005. Thirteen years later, Luke Bryan joined the ABC show as a judge. Now, as Carrie comes back to Idol, Luke’s the veteran, starting his eighth season on the show.

So how’s the “Before He Cheats” hitmaker adjusting?

“We’ve already done some auditions. You know, we do a lot of pre-taped stuff,” Luke tells ABC Audio. “And so Carrie’s doing a great job. It’s a lot to learn in a short amount of time when you’re talking about judging talent and dealing with the kids.”

“And she’s had a little bit of a learning situation on really saying no to kids because she’s such a sweet, kind soul,” Luke reveals. “You know, it’s tough to sit there and tell some kid no, that they can’t go to Hollywood.”

“But she’s doing great. And just me and her and Lionel [Richie], we’re having a blast being on the show and watching the talent,” he adds.

Luke and Carrie remain at the top of their game, with Carrie closing in on the top of the chart with her duet with Cody Johnson, “I’m Gonna Love You.” Meanwhile, Luke’s just started his climb with “Country Song Came On,” “a honky-tonk kind of throwback song” he’d been waiting to put on an album for awhile.

The new season of American Idol premieres March 9 on ABC, with a special sneak peek on the way after Sunday’s Oscars.

Watch the ‘American Idol’ Contestant Who Brought Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan to Tears

High school student Slater Nalley from Atlanta, Georgia won his ticket to Hollywood with the original song ‘Traces of You.’
Slater Nalley

American Idol is doing a sneak peek of Season 8 on ABC (Season 23 overall) following the Oscars on Sunday night to preview the new season as former American Idol winner Carrie Underwood joins Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan at the judges’ table.

The auditions were held in New York, Los Angeles, and Nashville, and in Music City, there was an audition that especially stood out and Parade has your first look at Idol hopeful Slater Nalley’s emotional audition.

In a surprising move, when Slater was called into the audition room, it wasn’t he who entered first, but rather Mrs. Davis, his high school English teacher.

“I am so grateful to be here,” she told the judges. “I have a special student of mine, Slater Nalley, and he wrote a song for my son [Carter Davis, 1999-2016], who was killed eight years ago. Slater had heard the story about my son. I had written a poem and the second year that I taught him I asked, ‘Would you mind looking at the poem? I would love to see what your thoughts are and how you turn a poem into a song.’ And so, two weeks later, he did, and that’s the song he’s going to sing today.”

Slater Nalley, Mrs. Davis

Slater Nalley, Mrs. Davis

Disney/Eric McCandless

Enter: 17-year-old Slater Nalley from Atlanta, GA.

“You have had the coolest introduction ever,” Luke told him. “It seems like you guys have a very special bond and that’s amazing.”

“Yes, sir. I’m very grateful for her and glad I could offer such a small notion, but I’m glad it helped so much,” Slater told Luke.

The song that Slater wrote in honor of Carter is called “Traces of You.”

“It is 100 percent the most deep thing I have ever written,” he said. “I didn’t know Carter before this happened and when Miss Davis told us, I just felt this presence come into my life essentially and I knew I needed to do something. I went home and I started working away on little notebook pages. Eventually, it turned into a song. She was happy with how it turned out. I am happy to be able to be here and play it and at least put a little joy in a dark place.”

Then Mrs. Davis, who was standing by the piano said, “Slater to not have known Carter, to write this song, it captured Carter. It captured that person I wish was still in my life. Our faith carries us, and it felt that there was light and hope in the middle of it, too.”

Slater began to sing and all three judges–Carrie, Lionel and Luke–had tears in their eyes.

“Even though this was about your son, every single person who hears that can fill in a memory with somebody that’s in them,” Carrie said to Mrs. Davis. Then to Slater, she added, “I couldn’t imagine you doing that any better.”

“That one line, ‘Your life was like a river running home,’ got the blues man,” Lionel pointed out. “That’s the one.”

And Luke added, “You just stick to walking on stage and singing with your heart and the rest will take care of itself.”

Then Lionel announced, “Sometimes we don’t have to vote.”

All three said in unison, “You’re going to Hollywood.”

American Idol will premiere at 8 p.m. ET/PT on March 9 on ABC, but first, a special preview episode will air following the live telecast of The Oscars on Sunday, March 2.