Perry County's Landon Hughes Reflects on American Idol Journey, Plans Next Steps

Landon Hughes walked into his American Idol Season 24 audition wearing a custom shirt stitched with the 606 area code and Hazard High School's colors, carrying a guitar case plastered with stickers from downtown Hazard businesses. The self-taught guitarist from Perry County left with a golden ticket to Hollywood and, by his own account, a piece of television history.

"You know, I went there and played bluegrass, which is the first time that's ever happened on the show, which it's an honor to say," Hughes said. "It almost brings a tear to my eye to say it."

Hughes performed "Maggie's Song" by the Stanley Brothers for the judges, a deliberate choice he said was rooted in regional pride rather than commercial calculation. "I played bluegrass really to show where I was from, to show what we're all about and represent me, my people and my region," he said. The claim that his audition marked bluegrass music's first appearance on the show is Hughes's own; it has not been independently verified.

Back home in Hazard briefly after his Hollywood run, Hughes reflected on what the moment has meant to the community that shaped him. "Every single person in this region has had an impact on me, whether they know it or not, and I really can't thank y'all enough," he said. "It's been bigger than me. I'm just the person going out there and singing the music."

The experience has sharpened his sense of urgency about what comes next. "The main thing that I'm really latched on to is that I have to work towards this and actively work towards it, because if I don't actually work towards it, I'm going to get left behind," Hughes said.

His next public appearance is a significant one locally: Hughes is set to open for John Foster, identified as the Season 23 American Idol runner-up, at the Black Gold Festival on Sept. 19. He also plans to release new music this summer. His existing catalog is available on Apple Music, Spotify, and other major streaming platforms.

The shirt, the stickers, the Stanley Brothers standard: nothing about Hughes's audition presentation was accidental. "I wanted them to know where I was from," he said. For Perry County, it appears the feeling was mutual.