Most reality shows tell the same story. Give up everything. Go all in. Hope the dream pays off.
John Foster is quietly rewriting that script.
He is a freshman Biology major at LSU and a proud Louisiana kid who grew up just across the river from campus. While many contestants put their whole life on pause, he spent his spring semester juggling lectures, labs, exams, and the roller coaster of “American Idol.” He still reached runner-up.
Here is the twist that makes his story different. Music is not his only path. John is serious about his degree. He talks about finishing school online, even while chasing stages and songs. His “backup plan” is not fear. It is confidence. He knows he can be a full-time artist or a physician who plays music on the side.
That safety net changes everything. The pressure to “make it” right now is lighter. The choices feel more honest. He can focus on songs that mean something, not just the ones that look good on TV.
LSU Freshman John Foster Brings Tiger Spirit to the ‘American Idol’ Stage
If you want to really feel how deeply that “backup plan” kid loves his school, look at what he chose to sing on one of the biggest nights of his life. Instead of chasing a trendy pop hit, he went straight for a Louisiana anthem that every Tiger fan knows by heart, “Callin’ Baton Rouge.” Guitar in hand, he turned a TV stage on American Idol into a celebration of home, campus pride, and loud, country joy.
John Foster Delivers High-Energy “Callin’ Baton Rouge” – American Idol 2025
Hearing John take on “I Told You So,” the Randy Travis classic, feels like a promise kept. The judges call him “pure country” for a reason. His voice is clear, steady, and full of emotion, like someone who is not pretending to be a star, just telling the truth in a song.