Zach D’Onofrio has come back to American Idol in hopes of becoming the next champion. The 20-year-old auditioned for season 19 with a stunning rendition of “Golden Slumbers” by The Beatles, followed by another performance with a special guest. The judges happily sent him through to Hollywood.
Zach will be appearing during the Hollywood Week round on March 22. From his relationship with an American Idol fan-favorite to his past with the show, HollywoodLife has 5 key things you need to know about this Idol contestant.
1. Zach is dating ‘Idol’ alum Catie Turner.
Zach and Catie Turner, 21, met during season 16 of American Idol. Catie notably gushed that Zach was “funny” and “nice” at the time. During his season 19 audition, Zach brought Catie out in front of the judges, and they revealed that they have been dating for about a year. Zach said that he and Catie “got out of touch for almost 2 years, and then she messaged me. and then that’s when it all started and now we’re together.” They also sang a beautiful duet of Harry Styles’ song “Falling.”
2. This isn’t his first time on ‘American Idol.’
Zach previously auditioned for the show in season 16. For that very first audition, he performed Frank Sinatra’s “The Way You Look Tonight.” Katy Perry got up and danced with him during his audition. All three judges sent Zach through to Hollywood. He was eliminated during the Hollywood Week round.
3. He’s now in college.
Zach currently attends Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. He is studying Music Management. He transferred to Florida Southern College after a year at the University of South Florida. “Last year, I was a freshman at USF studying Biomedical Sciences, so nothing in relation to singing at all,” Zach told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.
4. Zach has already released some of his own music.
His debut single was titled “dandelion.” He’s also released the singles “here for you” and “OVER THE MOON.” His music is available on Spotify. Zach also frequently performs covers on Instagram and TikTok.
5. He’s also managing smaller artists.
In addition to working on his own music career, Zach works with VH Management and manages smaller artists, according to his official website. His “dream is to own and manage a record label for unknown artists, helping them become more known.” He’s also working on making his own “friend-run label.”