McCall’s contributions were not televised but her tearful farewell was prominently showcased. She particularly thanked Perry for her support.
“Katy has given me a lot of confidence — it’s just hard right now,” McCall said. “I would just like to say to Katy thank you for changing my life.”
“You’re worth it,” Perry said. “Please don’t give up.”
Credit: FREMANTLE
Credit: FREMANTLE
The 28-year-old punched her ticket to Hollywood on the Season 22 premiere which aired Feb. 18. At her “Idol” audition in Santa Barbara, Calif., where she teaches voice and piano, McCall wowed the judges with her unique musicality by performing a slower, laidback version of the traditionally upbeat “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours).”
Growing up in Centerville, McCall, daughter of longtime Dayton Daily News reporter Ken McCall, previously told the Dayton Daily News she was “obsessed” with such music legends as the Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon and Bill Withers. She also participated in numerous music activities including Centerville High School’s contemporary a cappella troupe Forte formerly directed by Ben Spalding, Epiphany Players Drama Ministry formerly directed by the late Kay Frances Wean, and Kettering Children’s Choir co-founded by Artistic Director Emeritus Natalie DeHorn.
“I want to thank every music teacher I had in the Centerville school system,” McCall said. “I had the most phenomenal musical training growing up. I started played cello in third grade and joined choir in middle school. Ben Spalding gave me opportunities to sing and perform that are going to prepare me for Hollywood Week. That’s how big of a deal those performances were.”
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