# American Idol (season 22)

Abigail Carter (born in 2002 or 2003) is an American singer and musician who is competing in season 22 of American Idol.

## Early life

Abi Carter is the second oldest of seven children in a family with a single mother, Andrea Carter. They live in Indio, California, 130 miles southeast of Los Angeles and 22 miles southeast of Palm Springs. Abi and her family are Christians; she has three sisters and three brothers, one of whom, Daniel, is a YouTube video creator. Abi began private piano lessons when she was 7 or 8.
She said that when she was about 11 while cleaning her house she was listening to Battle Scars by Guy Sebastian and Lupe Fiasco. At the time she noticed patterns in music and music theory principles in pop music. Since then she has continued playing by ear and improvising.
Abi attended La Quinta High School in La Quinta, California, but dropped out after less than a semester and returned to being homeschooled; about that time her parents were separated. Abi helped care for her siblings as well as driving them to school and appointments. She graduated summa cum laude in May 2023 from California State University, San Bernardino (Palm Springs) with a bachelor's degree in psychology. She says that her mother has always supported her in music; she bought Abi her first keyboard. Abi has done some busking and performed at a street fair, Village StreetFest in Palm Springs. Abi told the Coachella Valley Weekly, "I wouldn’t be the person I am today without her guiding me along the way.”
Along with her mother who is a singer and like Abi graduated from CSUSB, Abi auditioned for Open Call, a singing group. She said it was her dream to be able to make a living using her voice. She tried out for Open Call to help her mother with her stage fright.
Abi Carter has played music and performed at country clubs as well as at the bar at Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar (TB is a chain of restaurants and bars). TBMB is about a block south of O'Donnell Golf Course. The course was the first golf course built in the Coachella Valley. After Tom O'Donnell financed the expansion of The Desert Inn, Nellie Coffman who was the owner of the hotel, leased O'Donnell land for him to build his golf course.

## American Idol

Abi Carter auditioned in Santa Barbara, California for American Idol and was the last audition of the day; she received one of the three platinum tickets given to the top 3 contestants in the eyes of the judging panel. She sang Billie Eilish's "What Was I Made For?".
Wide Open Country reported on her audition for American Idol and said she made What Was I Made For? personal by adding complex runs to the melody and using her falsetto range. Luke Bryan, one of American Idol's three judges, mentioned that he had never heard the show's crew clap before. Katy Perry commented, "What were you made for? You were made for this, 100%."
Carter sang a slowed down version of Welcome to the Black Parade by My Chemical Romance making the top 20 of the show. Perry cried a little during the song. Carter's grandfather died in 2021 and her grandmother died after American Idol filmed in Kapolei, Hawaii. She sang the song in tribute to them. Welcome to the Black Parade is about "The Patient" being visited in flashbacks on his deathbed by an ethereal parade of visitors. Earlier in the American Idol season, Perry told Carter, "You're my favorite. I just think you're so gifted." That was after Carter sang Oceans by Hillsong United.
American Idol season 22 performances and results :
| Week # | Theme/Location | Song choice | Original artist | Order | Result |
| Audition | Santa Barbara | "What Was I Made For?" | Billie Eilish | N/A | Advanced |
| Top 24 | Hawaii | "Oceans" | Hillsong United | 8 | Advanced |
| Top 20 | Studio | "Welcome to the Black Parade" | My Chemical Romance | 17 | Advanced |