Tipping his hat to the Man in Black.
Will Moseley does it again during this week’s performances for American Idol. After knocking Chris Stapleton’s “Starting Over” out of the park last week, I expected Moseley to switch up his vibe and deliver a non-country performance, but the Georgia native is sticking to his guns and staying true to his roots.
What perfect timing to pull out a song from Johnny Cash just as his estate announces a new album, Songwriter.
Moseley puts a rock twist on “Folsom Prison Blues,” breathing new light into the classic track that perfectly highlights the raspy grit he carries in his vocals. Accompanying himself on guitar, Moseley keeps his expression serious throughout the performance. Although he got feedback that he needed to smile more last week, I thought this was a perfect song choice to lean into the character of Cash.
Moseley knows that he is there to sing and isn’t about putting on a theatrical show, and once again, he shows the judges that America loves him, regardless of the smile that flashes throughout the performance. But to please the judges, Moseley makes his way down behind their chairs during a guitar solo that gets the crowd bumping. By the end of the performance, the audience and judge panel are dancing along to “Folsom Prison Blues.”
I don’t think he will ever be a performer who sits on stage and grins from ear to ear, but who cares when you have a voice like that?
Thanks to Will Moseley, country music is alive and well in this American Idol season.
