Johnny Knox, a singer with Alabama ties, made a small stir on “American Idol” this season, offering homemade sourdough bread to the celebrity judges during his audition.

Knox’s baking skills earned kudos from snack lover Katy Perry, who said ”This is amazing!” as she munched the bread. Although only a brief snippet of his audition aired on the ABC reality series — and not much singing was shown — it was clear that Knox received a golden ticket to Hollywood. (Knox’s audition can be seen in the video below, starting at the 1:04 minute mark. He receives his golden ticket at the 1:41 mark.)

But then what happened? Knox, 27, who grew up in Huntsville and lives in California, was MIA when “Idol” aired two Hollywood week episodes on April 2-3.

Hardcore “Idol” fans are familiar with the concept of “cannon fodder” — that is, contestants who make it through their auditions with the judges but seem unlikely to survive Hollywood week. Also, “Idol” producers typically showcase singers who do well on “Idol” right away, showing videos with their backstories during the early episodes and giving those folks lots of screen time.

Knox — featured in maybe 30 seconds of audition footage, in a montage that emphasized food — seemed like “Idol” cannon fodder from the start. That’s not to say he isn’t talented, or worthy of a spot on a singing show, but all signs pointed to a short run for Knox on Season 21.

And that’s exactly what happened. Knox has confirmed that he was eliminated from “American Idol” in Hollywood.

In a Tuesday Instagram post and accompanying video, Knox said he tested positive for COVID during Hollywood week and was quarantined in his hotel room. (Early episodes of the series are filmed in advance, and Knox evidently filmed the video when Hollywood week was underway in late 2022.)

Knox said he was allowed to sing for the judges online, in a videoconference format — we’re guessing this was for the initial performance challenge — but he didn’t make the cut for the duets round.

“I was pretty bummed to be sent home after performing over zoom but pretty psyched to say that I have sung Hot N Cold in front of Katy Parry (sic),” Knox posted on Instagram. “Maybe I’ll try again next year! (comment if you think I should) Huge congrats to the familiar faces that continued on the show. I wish them nothing but the best of luck and most importantly the best of time!”

In his Instagram video, Knox said he felt fine despite “positive COVID results,” and didn’t have a temperature. However, he was awaiting instructions on what to do next, presumably from the “Idol” team. “This would technically my third time having COVID-19,” Knox said.

In other video clips in the same Instagram post, Knox sings a few bars of Harry Styles’ “As It Was” and fiddles with the coffee machine in his hotel room.

Comments from Instagram followers offer encouragement for Knox to try his luck on “Idol” again next season, or possibly audition for “The Voice.” (”What’s better … American Idol or the Voice?” Knox asks in the comments.)

Knox, a singer-songwriter, has posted several videos showcasing his music on YouTube, including tracks from an album titled “Hear Your Voice.” His tunes also can be found on Spotify and Apple Music.

Knox attended Westminster Christian Academy in Huntsville and Auburn University, according to his Facebook profile. He now works as a medical software salesman in California, “Idol” said.