'American Idol': Arthur Gunn Blows Away Judges With Otis Redding Cover

No doubt about it, Arthur Gunn is a weapon.
The American Idol hopeful made the best of his audition, as season 18's Hollywood Week" kicked off.
Born in Kathmandu, Nepal and based in Wichita, Kansas, Gunn blew away the judges with a rendition of Otis Redding's 1968 song "Hard to Handle" (also covered in 1990 by Black Crowes).

The final American Idol auditions in the pre-Coronavirus era are upon us. (These were, after all, taped last year.) As ever, Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan aim to sort out the best of the best, though the future of the show’s live episodes remains unclear given the current public health crisis. 

Some folks, like Robert Taylor, Aliana Jester, and Makayla Brownlee sail on through with ease. (Aliana even brought her adorable support Frenchie along for the ride.) Meanwhile, Justin Oliver, 24, opts to sing Bruno Mars’ “Treasure,” only to find that one of the song’s writers, Phredley Brown, is the Idol house piano man. Phredley feels Justin’s “energy could have been better,” and thus it’s a no all the way around from the three judges.

Durham, North Carolina music teacher Franklin, 27, plays guitar while crooning Fleetwood Mac classic “Dreams” for Lionel & Co. His soulful take prompts Luke to say, “Way to be that first-note kind of singer. I mean, the first note you hit told me a big ol’ story about you. I just see the recording artist and so much artistry in you.”
And with that, Franklin is going to have to bid farewell to his students for the time being.
Roselyne Carter
Roselyne “Rozzo” Carter hails from the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles and has a powerful voice that was nurtured in her church. She admits that she’s lived through some hard times and pours all of that raw emotion into her take on The Pilgrim Travelers’ gospel standard “Mother Bowed.”
Once again, Katy says she’d like to hear a different song, so Roselyne goes more contemporary with John Legend’s “So High.” Lionel tells the contestant, “That was what you call a natural talent. It’s your interpretation that just knocks me out.”
Katy adds, “I think you embody what American Idol stands for.” Roselyne is off to nearby Hollywood with a golden ticket.