Abi Carter

Abigail "Abi" Carter (born July 31, 2002 ) is an American singer and musician who won season 22 of American Idol in 2024.

She is the first female in four years to win the competition.

Carter was born and raised in Indio, California, where she lives with her family, and is the second oldest of seven children in a Christian family with a single mother, Andrea Carter.

She has three sisters and three brothers, one of whom, Daniel, is a YouTube video creator.

Carter said that when she was about 11 while cleaning her house she was listening to "Battle Scars" by Guy Sebastian and Lupe Fiasco.

At the time she noticed patterns in music and music theory principles in pop music.

Since then she has continued playing by ear and improvising.

She went to school at George Washington Charter School in Palm Desert, California until third grade and then was homeschooled.

She attended La Quinta High School in La Quinta, California for less than a semester and returned to being homeschooled.

About that time, her parents separated.

She said that she left high school so that she could also work part-time, help care for her siblings, buy a car, and chauffeur her siblings to school and appointments.

In May 2023, she graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in psychology from California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB), Palm Desert campus.

Carter says that her mother Andrea has always supported her in music; Andrea bought Abi her first keyboard.

Abi began private piano lessons when she was 7 or 8; her former piano teacher spoke to the press and was in the audience for an American Idol show.

Referring to her mother's help, Carter told the Coachella Valley Weekly that she "wouldn't be the person I am today without her guiding me along the way".

She has busking experience, mainly at Villagefest, a weekly street fair in Palm Springs.

After graduating from CSUSB, Carter and her mother, who is also a singer, auditioned for Open Call, a singing group.

She said it was her dream to be able to make a living using her voice.

She tried out for Open Call to help her mother with her stage fright.

Carter has played music and performed at country clubs in the Coachella Valley as well as at the bar at Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar in Palm Springs and at Kitchen 86 + Bar in Palm Desert.

Carter auditioned for American Idol in Santa Barbara, California and was the last audition of the day; she received one of the three platinum tickets given to the top three contestants in the eyes of the judging panel, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan.

Carter sang Billie Eilish's "What Was I Made For?".

Wide Open Country reported on her audition for American Idol and said she made "What Was I Made For?"

personal by adding complex runs to the melody and using her falsetto range.

Perry approached Carter and said, "What were you made for? You were made for this, 100%."

Bryan said to Richie, "That may be the winner of American Idol.", and Perry replied "Luke, she's Top 10, right?"

Richie and Bryan agreed that Carter could win the show.

Bryan also mentioned that he had never heard the show's crew clap before.

Carter sang a slowed down version of "Welcome to the Black Parade" by My Chemical Romance making the top 20 of the show.

Perry cried a little during the song.

Carter's grandfather died in 2021 and her grandmother died after American Idol filmed in Kapolei, Hawaii.

Carter sang the song in tribute to them.

"Welcome to the Black Parade" is about "The Patient" being visited in flashbacks on his deathbed by an ethereal parade of visitors.

Earlier in the American Idol season after she sang "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)" by Hillsong United, Perry told Carter, "You're my favorite. I just think you're so gifted."

Carter sang three songs in the season finale of the contest, including an original, "This Isn't Over".

On May 20, 2024, she won the show and sang "What Was I Made For?"

again.

Will Moseley came in second and Jack Blocker finished in third place.

Carter is the first recipient of platinum ticket to win.