TU’s Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon makes ‘American Idol’ top 10, racks up fans

Watch Sunday night’s Disney-themed episode as Harmon competes for a spot in the top 8

By Rebecca Kirkman on April 20, 2019

American Idol top 10
Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon, third from left, with the top 10 contestants on “American Idol.” (ABC/Eric McCandless)

America seems to agree with the judges: Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon made it into the ‘American Idol’ top 10 in the first week of eliminations determined by viewer votes.

In last Sunday’s episode, Harmon—a voice performance major at Towson University—impressed with his performance of Elton John’s “We All Fall In Love Sometimes.”

Judge Lionel Richie praised Harmon for his vocal range. “There are notes that Elton can’t do, there are notes that Freddie Mercury can’t do—you went to a ‘Z’ flat somewhere up there, past Pluto and Mars. It was amazing.”

The performance caught the attention of Elton John, who said Harmon was an “amazing talent” that “took my breath away” in a post on Instagram.

The cover earned Harmon a spot in the season’s final 10 contestants. To celebrate, he performed his original song “Almost Heaven” on Monday’s episode.

Harmon’s success has earned him support at home and around the country, with many voicing their support on social media with the hashtag #teamjer.

In a recent Baltimore magazine interview, Harmon praised the TU community.

“One of the things I like about Towson and the school of music in particular, it’s small like a conservatory but it doesn’t feel competitive and cutthroat like you would expect from a top-notch conservatory. It’s a very welcoming environment,” he told Baltimore.

“I feel like I have extended family there. It was just a really positive experience for me. Especially as a transfer student. I still keep in touch with the faculty. I’m actually living with my academic advisor right now, renting out a room there.”

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Study music at TU

TU’s Department of Music offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in music education, performance and composition.

Watch live on Sunday, April 21 at 8 p.m. on ABC as the final 10 contestants perform Disney songs coached by celebrity mentor Rebel Wilson.

In the first episode of the season allowing viewers to watch and vote simultaneously from coast to coast, voting will open at 8 p.m. EST and the top eight contestants will be revealed at the end of the episode.

You can vote online at AmericanIdol.com/vote, on the app, or by text. You can vote up to 10 times per platform.