A Tennessee strawberry farmer will start his "American Idol" journey on Wednesday's episode at 8 p.m. on ABC.
Kason Lester of Lebanon, Tennessee, is co-owner of Lester Farms with his brother. He is the son of Kevin and Teresa Lester of Lebanon, but his cousin, Doug Corn, and other extended family live on Signal Mountain. The singer is a frequent visitor to Chattanooga, says Corn, and has many friends here.
Lester is a 2017 graduate of Belmont University with a degree in music business. He was among more than 2,000 hopeful singers who auditioned for the show in Chattanooga at First Tennessee Pavilion last August. He advanced to sing before judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan in Louisville, Kentucky, which viewers will see Wednesday night.
Tune in to see whether he receives one of "Idol's" coveted golden tickets to Hollywood.