Who is Thunderstorm Artis? ‘American Idol’ Judges Blown Away by Soulful Singer

Thunderstorm Artis will be one of the artists featured in a special preview of “American Idol.” But it won’t be his first time appearing on TV screens. 

On March 2, the 97th annual Academy Awards are scheduled to be broadcast live on ABC stations, followed by a sneak peek at a few of the auditions for Season 23 of “American Idol,” which officially premieres March 9. Fans who also follow “The Voice” may feel a sense of déjà vu when they see the performance from Artis, who was a finalist in season 18 as a member of Nick Jonas’ team in 2020. 

Thunderstorm Artis Raised in Large Musical Family

Artis informed his followers about the “Idol” audition via a February 7 Instagram post, stating, “Well I guess I should let this cat 🐈 out the bag… Tune in March 9th to see if I made it through my audition on @americanidol” 

On his website, Artis indicated that he was born and raised on the North Shore of Oahu. Artis grew up in a large musical family, and he describes his style as “soaring vocals meet dextrous, layered guitar and intimate storytelling.” When asked by Carried Underwood during the “Idol” audition about his unusual name, Artis explained that his mom thought she was having twins, whom she planned to name Thunder and Storm, so when only one baby arrived, she blended the names together.

During his appearance on “The Voice,” Artis sang a few original compositions, as well as reinterpreted versions of songs from artists such as The Beatles and Louis Armstrong. Since then, Artis has continued to perform, sharing the stage with artists like Jack Johnson and the Zac Brown Band, and Deseret News reported that Artis opened up for Train on tour in the summer of 2023. 

A review of that tour in 519 Magazine gave Artis high praise, stating, ““His emotional covers of ‘Blackbird,’ ‘Hallelujah’ and ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ were brilliant, but his original closing track ‘I’m So In Love With You’ earned him a standing ovation as he left the stage.” 

Thunderstorm Artis Released His Most Recent Single on February 21

Artis also met his wife, Faith, following his time on “The Voice,” telling People that he wrote his song, “Surprise,” which was released in 2023, about her. 

“We met randomly at a concert,” Artis said. “At the time, I didn’t think that true love really existed. And to my surprise, she came into my life and tore down a lot of these walls.” 

“I’ve always written from a place of pain and turmoil and deep, thought-provoking things,” he continued. “But with ‘Surprise,’ I wanted to go the opposite way. It was the first time that I was able to write about something that I’m super happy about.” 

In 2023, Artis also released single “Stand Up Eight,“ one of several originals and covers on his YouTube channel. On Instagram, he posted that his latest single, “Take it Slow,” was just released on February 21.