‘Idol’ judge calls SC singer ‘walking melatonin’ but sends him to Hollywood anyway

Luke Bryan compared Greenville’s Aaron Westberry to James Taylor during the “American Idol” episode that aired Sunday night.

Trouble was, Westberry, at 20, didn’t know who Taylor was.

“You’re so raw it ain’t even dead yet,” Bryan said, as the other two “Idol” judges seemed equally amazed at the Eastside High graduate’s voice. They were also blown away by his demeanor — laid back just doesn’t describe it properly.

When they told him he made it through the audition, he walked off the stage with a quiet “thank you” and picked up his ticket to Hollywood.

Westberry told the “Idol” judges at the start of the audition he had sung live in front of an audience once. He performed “2016” by Sam Hunt and accompanied himself on the piano.

Once, he sent a recording of himself to a friend.

“She liked it,” he said.

Katy Perry’s face looked shocked as Westberry started singing.

“Your voice makes us melt,” she said afterward.

“You had a heartbreak tone, man,” Bryan said. “You can sing some stuff, and it pulls us in.”

Westberry was on the golf team at Eastside and sings in the choir at Taylors First Baptist Church. His father is an orthopedic surgeon at Shriners Hospital.

Westberry said he works in the produce department at a grocery store and was trying to figure out what’s next.

Judge Lionel Richie asked him whether he liked working in produce. Westberry said quietly no, then at Richie’s prompting rendered a more hearty answer.

“Passion is key here,” Richie said, and added that Westberry was one of the most limited singers they’d ever sent to Hollywood.

Perry called him “walking melatonin.”

Westberry auditioned in Nashville, wearing sweat pants, a long-sleeved T-shirt and running shoes.

He follows on the heels of another Upstate South Carolinian, Caleb Kennedy, who made waves on the last season of “American Idol.” Kennedy advanced to the show’s top five last spring before dropping out of the show when a controversial video of him surfaced on social media.

Westberry’s competition on the new season includes Miss America 2016 Betty Maxwell (whose maiden name was Cantrell), who also received a golden ticket to Hollywood on Sunday’s episode.

On last week’s episode, Aretha Franklin’s granddaughter, Grace Franklin, was denied a spot in the next round. Katy Perry walked off the set when Richie and Bryan voted against sending the 15-year-old Franklin to Hollywood.

Perry said Franklin was “full of stardust” and tried to convince Richie to vote yes. Richie spoke to the teen, saying he was Uncle Lionel with some advice to do the work on her craft.

“Trust me,” he said. “Come back and see us, OK?”