Introduction
Burnell Taylor (born April 14, 1993) is an American singer, who came in seventh place on the twelfth season of American Idol.
Early life
Burnell Taylor was born on April 14, 1993, infrom New Orleans, Louisiana. He graduated from Sarah T. Reed High School in 2011. He and his family were survivors of Hurricane Katrina.
American Idol
Taylor auditioned in Baton Rouge, singing "I'm Here". He performed the same song during the semifinals and made it to the top 10. During the top 10, 9, and 8 weeks, he was favored by judges and Jimmy Iovine (when compared to the other boys). He received the lowest number of votes after his top 7 performance of "You Give Love a Bad Name" by Bon Jovi, and was sent home on April 4, 2013 after the judges decided against using their "Judges' Save" power.
Performances and results
| Episode | Theme | Song choice | Original artist | Order # | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audition | Auditioner's choice | "I'm Here" | LaChanze | N/A | Advanced |
| Hollywood Round, part 1 | A Capella | Not aired | N/A | Advanced | |
| Hollywood Round, part 2 | Group performance | "Some Kind of Wonderful" | Soul Brothers Six | N/A | Advanced |
| Hollywood Round, part 3 | Solo | "Jar of Hearts" | Christina Perri | N/A | Advanced |
| Las Vegas Round | Personal choice | "This Time" | John Legend | 8 | Advanced |
| Top 20 (10 men) | Personal choice | "I'm Here" | LaChanze | 5 | Advanced |
| Top 10 reveal | Victory song | "Ready for Love" | India.Arie | 2 | N/A |
| Top 10 | Music of the American Idols | "Flying Without Wings" | Westlife | 9 | Safe (7th) |
| Top 9 | The Beatles | "Let It Be" | The Beatles | 2 | Safe |
| Top 8 | Music of Motor City | "My Cherie Amour" | Stevie Wonder | 7 | Bottom 3 |
| "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" |
Four Tops | 10 | |||
| Top 7 | Rock | "You Give Love a Bad Name" | Bon Jovi | 1 | Eliminated |
| "The Letter" |
The Box Tops | 4 | |||
Post-Idol
Taylor took part in the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2013 from July 19 and to August 31, 2013. He performed with Nicki Minaj on her song "Pills N Potion" at the 2014 BET Awards on June 29, 2014.