- Tyson received a Platinum Ticket from the Idol judges.
- Tyson is just 17 years old.
- Tyson has competed on The Voice Teens Phillippines.
Tyson Venegas became one to watch in American Idol season 21 from his very first audition. The 17-year-old blew the judges away with his audition and became the first Platinum Ticket winner of the season. He’s now made the top 10 and has continued to give stellar performances week after week.
So, who is Tyson Venegas? He’s been singing since he was a kid, and his star power is only getting bigger. HollywoodLife has rounded up everything you need to know about Tyson.
1. Tyson got the first Platinum Ticket of season 21.
Tyson performed a stunning rendition of Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind” for the judges and plays the piano. He got a standing ovation from the judges. Lionel Richie told Tyson that his “performance was spot-on perfection.”
Luke Bryan added, “You are exactly what we look for, what we pray for.” The judges knew they had something special on their hands. They gave him the first Platinum Ticket of the season. This allowed Tyson to coast through one full day of Hollywood Week.
After Tyson left the room, Luke told the judges that Tyson may be one of the “most special” contestants they’ve seen. Lionel admitted that he had never “seen anything that gifted” since they started judging.
2. Tyson is from Canada.
Tyson was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia. Back in 2021, Tyson posted a selfie with Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau. “Proud to be Canadian honoured to meet Prime Minister @justinpjtrudeau,” Tyson captioned the Instagram photo.
3. Tyson had a speech delay as a kid.
Tyson revealed to the judges that he suffered from a speech delay when he was a young child. Music was used to help him develop his speech. That’s where his love of music began.
4. American Idol isn’t his first singing competition.
Tyson competed on the Filipino version of The Voice Teens in 2020 when he was just 14 years old. Being on The Voice Teens allowed Tyson to meet members of his family in the Phillippines whom he had never met before. Unfortunately, Tyson had to drop out of the show ahead of the Knockouts because of COVID travel restrictions.
5. Lionel inspired Tyson to be a singer.
Tyson’s mom revealed that Lionel is one of her son’s “biggest inspirations.” She recalled going to a Lionel concert with Tyson. That was the moment Tyson told her that he wanted to be a musician just like Lionel. When Tyson’s mom was brought into the audition room, she said Tyson “learned how to sing from his heart” being inspired Lionel.