CORRECTION: Jeremiah Copeland attended graduate school at the University of Houston. An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified his grad school.
There was some hesitation when “American Idol” judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Ritchie and Katy Perry unanimously blessed Jeremiah “Jay “Copeland of Salisbury with the exclusive platinum ticket on episode five, on Monday night.
The platinum ticket is a new perk for season 20 that allows only three contestants to take a shortcut and not only go to Hollywood, but also skip a Hollywood round.
“It’s the 20th year of creating superstars and you’re a superstar. I think you are worth all of the platinum,” Perry told the 23-year-old singer from Salisbury.
Copeland wowed the judges with his audition, singing Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours.”
Jay said in an emailed statement to Delmarva Now / The Daily Times that his time in front of the “Idol” judges was a blur.
“To be quite honest, I don’t remember [Perry] calling me a ‘superstar.’ I was embracing the moment of the minute,” he explained.
“After I finished singing, I blacked out. There were only a few moments that I remember in the short timeframe. But to hear that from her is more than I thought I would receive.”
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Perry wasn’t the only judge who praised the rising star.
“We’ve been waiting on a kid like you, because you’re gonna be able to electrify a crowd. You’re perfect, in my opinion,” Bryan told Copeland, after teasing him for having a smile as big as Lionel Ritchie’s.
“My man, you got some great teeth,” praised Ritchie, before piling more compliments upon Copeland.
“I’ve been alive a very long time and you don’t just jump on a Stevie Wonder song and do boxing with Stevie Wonder,” Ritchie explained. “You controlled it. You did it. You owned it. And on top of that, you were having so much fun.”
Other “American Idol” hopefuls from the Mid-Atlantic region who are going to Hollywood include ballet singer and dancer Skyler Maxey-Wert, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania (golden ticket); and Western Pennsylvania singer Morgan Gruber, a senior at Riverside High in Beaver Valley; Kenedi Anderson, formerly of Thibodaux, Virginia (platinum ticket); Daniel Marshall Griffith, of Chesapeake, Virginia (golden); and New Jersey singers Camryn Champion, 16, of Lumberton (golden ticket); and Cole Hallman, of Manasquan (golden ticket).
This contestant has a lot of potential
Copeland looked like the most solid contestant in episode five. He had charisma, stage presence, confidence and he flexed his vocal prowess.
“I am telling you, your talent is off the chain,” Lionel Ritchie said. “It’s so natural. You can’t study anymore. There’s nothing to study. We needed this. We’ve been waiting for you to walk through that door. I’m so happy you showed up.”
“I sacrificed a lot to be here,” Copeland told the judges. He shared that he dropped out of grad school at the University of Houston to follow his dreams of being a musical artist, after receiving an ultimatum at school.
“I chose ‘Idol,’” he said to the judges. “I don’t know if I made the right decision or the wrong decision, but I do know I made the best decision for myself.”
The judges told him it was good to bet on himself.
“He made the right decision. I don’t know where he was getting his masters, why that person gave them an ultimatum. But you know what, that was God’s way of protecting [Jay],” Perry explained.
“I am telling you, your talent is off the chain,” Ritchie said. “It’s so natural. You can’t study anymore. There’s nothing to study. We needed this. We’ve been waiting for you to walk through that door. I’m so happy you showed up.”
‘He’s a special kid’
Copeland’s supporters went wild on Facebook, tagging him in a number of celebratory posts.
“Well, I must I’m a bit of a Proud-Teacher MESS after tonight’s ELECTRIFYING PERFORMANCE on AMERICAN IDOL!!!!!,” John Wesley Wright, Copeland’s vocal mentor since middle school, wrote in a Facebook post, which includes a photo of him posing with Jay and the platinum ticket.
“I was in here screaming! Congratulations Jay Copeland! I was watching and crying,” another supporter wrote.
“I hope y’all watched my brother make history on American Idol tonight!!! Jay, you have an army of supporters who love you and are here to go through this journey with you,” exclaimed a loved one.
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The JMB grad’s family appeared on the big screen during last night’s episode and Ritchie acknowledged them.
“He’s a special kid. I cannot wait until America gets to see what you’ve been seeing for a very long time!” the “Idol” judge said.
More ‘Idol’ contestants from Mid-Atlantic
Camryn Champion:South Jersey’s latest Hollywood-bound ‘American Idol’ contender
Morgan Gruber:Riverside High student to compete on ‘American Idol’
Cole Hallman:Cole Hallman of Manasquan, former barback at the Stone Pony, is now on ‘American Idol’
Kenedi Anderson:‘American Idol’s’ Kenedi Anderson has a Thibodaux connection? Here’s what we know.
Skyler Maxey-Wert: A ballet dancer and singer who’s shined in his debut on Monday.
“American Idol” airs at 8 p.m. on Sundays and Mondays on ABC. The show is streamed on Hulu.
Andre Lamar is the features/lifestyle reporter. If you have an interesting story idea, email Andre Lamar at alamar@gannett.com
