Luke Colombo performs on “American Idol” during Hollywood Week in November. (Photo provided by Mark Colombo)

PARKERSBURG – Luke Colombo said music is his passion, but the 17-year-old Parkersburg resident “never thought in a thousand years” he would have a following on social media – or end up on “American Idol.”

After months of interviews and auditions, Colombo earned a spot on “American Idol” season 24 when he was 16 years old.

He returned from “American Idol” production in Nashville last fall with a golden ticket handed to him by country music star Carrie Underwood after his performance.

Before standing on the stage during Hollywood Week performing in front of 1,500 people, Colombo’s journey began when he would sing at 4 years old.

“I felt like I always had a joy for music but it wasn’t until around COVID time … when I started thinking the guitar would be something cool to learn,” he said.

Luke Colombo takes a photo with former “American Idol” star Slater Nalley during the first auditions in October in Nashville. (Photo provided by Mark Colombo)

Colombo said he was taught to play the piano but never enjoyed “being taught” how to do something and felt he learned better on his own.

He said music had always been a significant part of his life with his parents, Jaime and Mark, listening to all kinds of sounds.

“He still walks around the house singing and playing 24 hours a day,” Jaime Colombo said. “Even when I go to sleep I can hear him in the basement singing and playing his guitar.”

Colombo described a specific moment when he picked up a guitar in the boy’s locker room after football practice at Parkersburg High School and his friends encouraged him to play.

“I started playing and suddenly the whole room was filled and the whole team were waving their phone flashlights in the air like it was a concert,” he said.

Christian Brown, Trew the Star and Luke Colombo, front, hold their “American Idol” golden tickets during the October auditions in Nashville. (Photo provided by Mark Colombo)

He said he never would’ve pursued music further if it hadn’t been for that moment performing in front of people besides his parents and younger sister.

After that, he started posting his videos on TikTok and gained nearly 50,000 followers in less than a year.

After posting consistently for about a year, Colombo said the producers for “American Idol” reached out to him last spring and asked if he wanted to audition.

“He woke me up at 3 a.m. and said, ‘Mom, ‘American Idol’ just contacted me,'” his mother said.

Colombo said he knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and he didn’t want to miss it.

Luke Colombo holds his guitar and “American Idol” golden ticket after returning from auditions at the end of last year. (Photo provided by Mark Colombo)

“I did interviews with them all throughout the summer, and there were a bunch of steps I had to do,” he said.

Colombo said he put football and wrestling to the side to focus on this opportunity. He said he felt blessed to be selected and for them to see who he was as a person.

“Everything has been moving so fast right now, and it’s really weird being 17 in high school,” he said. “I posted a video one night during the summer, and Zach Bryan commented on it.”

Colombo said being given that opportunity was really scary at first, especially because he didn’t know if music was something he wanted to fully pursue.

At the time of the show’s recording, Colombo wasn’t allowed to tell people that he was on the show, what the outcomes were or about any behind-the-scenes action.

Luke Colombo waits for his “American Idol” audition in October in Nashville. (Photo provided by Mark Colombo)

Colombo said there were many contestants who all came from different backgrounds and experiences.

“I heard all different kinds of music, and everybody had their own story, and everybody had their own reason why music was there for them and why they were there that day,” he said. “It was an awesome experience.”

Colombo performed in front of judges Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, who listened and watched his performance during the first round in Nashville. He said they gave him the golden ticket and he moved on in the show before being cut during Hollywood Week.

He said he wasn’t upset he was cut because it made him want to pursue music even more and see how far he could go.

Colombo had never performed on a stage, just in front of friends and family and for his online audience.

Luke Colombo practices before his “American Idol” audition in Nashville in the fall of 2025. (Photo provided by Mark Colombo)

“You walk out on this stage, and it’s this massive theater with celebrity judges and there’s 360 cameras all around you,” he said. “You never know what door God’s going to put in front of you, so you better be ready to walk through it.”

He said the judges complimented him for making his cover of a Lewis Capaldi song “a Luke Colombo song.”

Colombo said he was nervous before the performance but as soon as he stepped out to sing he felt completely calm and knew he was in the right place. Colombo said he was blessed to have made it to where he did.

Ever since the season started airing, more doors have continued to open up. He said he performs live at local venues and at places like Wings, Etc., Flannagan’s and the Polo Club.

He has plans to perform locally at larger venues and events over the summer.

“I’ve got so many things spinning in my head, and I’m thinking about every little thing, but then when I stop thinking about everything and just think about the music it really works,” said Colombo.

He said he’s written enough original songs to create two full albums and he wants to start recording.

“A lot of times, when I write a song it’s just because I feel like I need to,” he said. “You can’t push out a good song, it just comes to you.”

Colombo said he’s always been a poetic person and he gains a lot of his inspiration from his family and experiences.

“I’ll stay up to write a song because it just takes me over and it just feels right once I get it out,” said Colombo.

Colombo’s TikTok presence, live performances and appearances on “American Idol” have gained a lot of traction. He said people had asked him for photos at a Zach Bryan concert.

When Colombo isn’t writing music or singing, he’s spending time working on his car.

“It would be nice to end up making it big time for thousands of people … but more than anything else, it’s a passion, and I’m going to stay true to it and I’m going to keep writing,” he said.

He said he loves to play around his hometown and the only reason he’d ever want to “make it big” would be so he could help his mom retire early.

“I owe it to everybody that’s ever believed in me,” said Colombo.

Colombo will be performing live March 8 at the Robinson Grand Performing Center in Clarksburg.

Follow Colombo on TikTok @c2lukemusic

Amber Phipps can be reached at aphipps@newsandsentinel.com