American Idol’s Chayce Beckham: 5 Things to Know About the Season 19 Winner

Credit: ABC/Eric McCandless

American Idol’s Chayce Beckham: 5 Things to Know About the Season 19 Winner

A star is born! Chayce Beckham was crowned the winner of American Idol season 19 on Sunday, May 23. The beloved competition’s final three contestants were Beckham, 24, Grace Kinstler and Willie Spence. Early on in the show, judge Katy Perry predicted that Beckham, a former heavy machine operator, would make the top five. “[He’s a] real, bona fide musical artist,” she said, noting he can go “wherever [he wants] to go” career-wise. The California native first auditioned for American Idol in February, singing "What Brings Life Also Kills" by Kolton Moore and The Clever Few and receiving three "yes" votes from 36-year-old Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. He moved on to Hollywood rounds before continuing to advance in the competition. According to the reality star, he wasn’t always so talented. “I used to sing in my room and my sisters would be like, ‘Shut the door! That sounds terrible!’” he told the San Bernardino Sun in April. “Everybody would tell me that, dude. … It wasn’t good. They pushed me to be better.” Nevertheless, Beckham kept working on his craft. After being involved in a drunk-driving accident last fall, Beckham decided to turn his life around — and turn to music for healing. The incident inspired him to write the song “23,” which found its way to the top of the country music charts as soon as it was released earlier this month. [sendtonews type="float" key="vNY4m5Yjxz-2838766-14453"] "I wrote it and I kind of kept in my pocket and played it for people here and there," Beckham told the newspaper. "It was never anything that I was banking on, or I was like, 'Hey, listen to this great song.' People would tell me, 'Man, that song is going to be on the radio one day,' and I was like, 'There's no way,' because I just couldn't picture it." After his win, Idol judges were excited to congratulate the newest winner. “Congrats to @chaycebeckhammusic!!! Well deserved buddy! It’s been so awesome to watch you learn and grow. Can’t wait to see where the next chapter in this journey takes you,” Bryan, 44, wrote via Instagram. Richie, 71, chimed in as well, posting a selfie with his fellow judges, Beckham and host Ryan Seacrest. “That’s a wrap on an amazing season of #AmericanIdol! Say hello to #TheNextIdol @chaycebeckhammusic. Thank you all for watching! See you soon 🙌🏽✨,” he wrote. Scroll to discover five things to know about American Idol’s newest winner: [podcast_block]

Credit: ABC/Eric McCandless

American Idol’s Chayce Beckham: 5 Things to Know About the Season 19 Winner

A star is born! Chayce Beckham was crowned the winner of American Idol season 19 on Sunday, May 23. The beloved competition’s final three contestants were Beckham, 24, Grace Kinstler and Willie Spence. Early on in the show, judge Katy Perry predicted that Beckham, a former heavy machine operator, would make the top five. “[He’s a] real, bona fide musical artist,” she said, noting he can go “wherever [he wants] to go” career-wise. The California native first auditioned for American Idol in February, singing "What Brings Life Also Kills" by Kolton Moore and The Clever Few and receiving three "yes" votes from 36-year-old Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. He moved on to Hollywood rounds before continuing to advance in the competition. According to the reality star, he wasn’t always so talented. “I used to sing in my room and my sisters would be like, ‘Shut the door! That sounds terrible!’” he told the San Bernardino Sun in April. “Everybody would tell me that, dude. … It wasn’t good. They pushed me to be better.” Nevertheless, Beckham kept working on his craft. After being involved in a drunk-driving accident last fall, Beckham decided to turn his life around — and turn to music for healing. The incident inspired him to write the song “23,” which found its way to the top of the country music charts as soon as it was released earlier this month. [sendtonews type="float" key="vNY4m5Yjxz-2838766-14453"] "I wrote it and I kind of kept in my pocket and played it for people here and there," Beckham told the newspaper. "It was never anything that I was banking on, or I was like, 'Hey, listen to this great song.' People would tell me, 'Man, that song is going to be on the radio one day,' and I was like, 'There's no way,' because I just couldn't picture it." After his win, Idol judges were excited to congratulate the newest winner. “Congrats to @chaycebeckhammusic!!! Well deserved buddy! It’s been so awesome to watch you learn and grow. Can’t wait to see where the next chapter in this journey takes you,” Bryan, 44, wrote via Instagram. Richie, 71, chimed in as well, posting a selfie with his fellow judges, Beckham and host Ryan Seacrest. “That’s a wrap on an amazing season of #AmericanIdol! Say hello to #TheNextIdol @chaycebeckhammusic. Thank you all for watching! See you soon 🙌🏽✨,” he wrote. Scroll to discover five things to know about American Idol’s newest winner: [podcast_block]

Credit: ABC/Eric McCandless

1. He Turned His Life Around

Early in the season, Beckham told the Idol judges that he “ended up on the side of the highway upside down” one day after making the decision to drive after drinking. Following the incident, he knew a change was necessary.

“I was all, like, down and out. I had gotten in my car wreck, my DUI, and whatnot. A lot of stuff had been going great for me, but that all kind of got taken away from me,” he told The San Bernardino Sun. “Losing my house and my girlfriend and my dog, getting in trouble with the law and having to have your mama come pick you up from jail and stuff, kind of puts you in a weird headspace.”

Credit: ABC/Eric McCandless

2. His Family Is Extremely Supportive

After his accident, Beckham moved back in with his mother and stepfather. With their son at home, the pair saw how much Beckham was missing music in his life.

“I think that they really just saw that I was kind of giving up on my dreams a little bit,” he noted during his Sun interview. “So they strongly encouraged me to audition [for American Idol].”

Credit: ABC/Christopher Willard

3. He Writes His Own Music

Last month, the singer told the Daily Press that he first started messing with a guitar at age 3 after seeing it laying around at his grandma’s house.

“That was my earliest memory of music,” he said.

Chayce sang two original songs while on American Idol. “23,” which he wrote after a life-changing accident, has already found its place as a No. 1 hit on the country music charts.

Credit: ABC/Eric McCandless

4. He’s From California

Beckham is from Apple Valley, California. After his audition, Richie made a joke about Beckham’s desert roots.

“Who knew that when you grew up in Apple Valley — with no apples — that you would be the poster child of who lives in that town,” he said.

Credit: ABC/Eric McCandless

5. He Has Big Plans For What’s Next

Prior to his win, Beckham told the Los Angeles Daily News he has no desire to slow down after Idol.

“I think it’s super important to take the momentum that you have and keep going with it. And not say, ‘Oh man, this crazy show’s over with, I’m going to relax for a month or two,'” he said.

During a Monday, May 24, Good Morning America appearance following his win, the artist said he hopes to make country music, go to Nashville and “hopefully have more songs on the charts" in the near future.