In the final night audition of American Idol Season 22, Julia Gagnon astounded judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie performing Aretha Franklin’s song Ain’t No Way.
Her performance was so mesmerizing that Judge Lionel said, “Did that come out of your mouth?
Lionel further stated, “I’m in shock. I grew up [listening to] Aretha Franklin. There are certain songs you just don’t sing because you just can’t touch the original and you just made it not only your song, but you did things that were just beyond. That was amazing. That was absolutely outstanding. I’m going to vote. I can’t wait to get to it. Yes.”
Judge Luke complimented Julia for how beautifully she hit the falsetto and managed the volume of her voice.
Katy, too, was surprised to listen to Julia as she commented, “I loved that. Look, you’ve got several soul singers inside of you, not just one. You could go far. You could be Top 10.”
All three judges gave Julia a standing ovation for her fantastic performance and gave her the last platinum ticket.
One audition and the Maine girl, Julia Gagnon, created history by enlisting herself as the platinum ticket recipient on the Wikipedia page of American Idol Season 22.
It’s pretty apparent that she has come a long way as a singer, but that’s not the reason Julia stole the show. The back story of Julia Gagnon is what seemed to have touched people’s souls, which led to a surge for her further story via Wikipedia.
Key Takeaways
- Julia Gagnon is the last contestant who earned platinum ticket at American Idol Season 22 final audition.
- Her incredible rendition of Aretha Franklin’s song Ain’t No Way in the Idol stage and her heart touching back story grabbed media attention.
- Julia was born in Guatemala but raised in Maine by her adoptive parents since the age of 2. She was introduced to her birth mother after she turned 18.
- She gather up courage to audition for American Idol for her birth mom.
- Julia is engaged to her boyfriend-turned-fiancee, Nate Haven, who is also a musician.
Guatemala-born Julia Gagnon, who was adopted from an orphanage, experienced bullying all her teenage life. Why so?
During her participation in American Idol, Julia Gagnon revealed her heart-touching back story.
As Julia said, she was born in Guatemala, but her real parents put her in an orphanage home as a child. She was two years old when her parents, Jim and Meg, adopted her and brought her to her current residence in Cumberland, Maine.
In her video package, she said that her upbringing in Maine was like a dream come true. “It was picture perfect. There was snow at Christmas and warm summers. It was all amazing.”
But Julia’s fairy-tale-like life turned upside down when she was admitted to school. “When I entered the school systems, it became different. I got bullied a lot. People in Maine don’t look like me, and it was really hard to deal with. It still is hard to talk about. I don’t think I have ever found a place where I feel like I fit in.”
But as her parents were always by her side, Julia, despite her internal struggle, kept going. The 21-year-old, who is currently a senior student at the University of Southern Maine, gathered up the courage to audition for American Idol just for the sake of her birth mother, Sara.
Julia got to know about her biological mom after she requested her dad to find out about her after she turned 18.
She mentioned that her birth mother was actually apologetic for what happened; however, she was happy that her daughter was raised so well. She further said, “What I want to tell Sarah, my birth mother, is that you gave me the push that I needed. Everything happens for a reason.”
American Idol contestant Julia Gagnon is happily engaged to Guitarist, Nate Haven
On January 1, 2024, Julia took to Instagram to announce her engagement to her boyfriend, Nate Haven.
Showing her ring, she captioned her post, “So…. WE ARE ENGAGED! Oh my gosh what a crazy ride for both of us. I love you so much, ‘the Havens’ has a nice 💍 to it <3 @nate_haven.”
Going through their Instagram, it seems like the couple has been in a relationship for a long time. They appear supportive of each other and often flaunt their bonding on their respective Instagram account.
Julia Gagnon beau, Nate is also a musician and has collaborated in music, forming a Maine-based indie band named Chocolate Milk, which does not have a Wikipedia page yet. On August 10, 2023, Julia posted a video on her Instagram and wrote, “Time to announce: OUR EP IS ALMOST HERE!!! Let us know what you think 🙂 @chocolatemilkk_official.
FAQs
Julia Gagnon is a Guatemalan native raised in Maine by her adoptive parents.
Yes, Julia is on Instagram with 9907 followers. She also has an official YouTube channel with 34 subscribers.
Julia’s adoptive parents are Jim and Meg Gagnon. Her birth mother is Sara, who is from Guatemala.
