Not everyone who sang in the season premiere of “American Idol” got a golden ticket, and not all of those who did so locked it down with a unanimous “yes” from all three celebrity judges. But a 15-year-old from Alabama did.

By the time the episode aired Sunday evening, the outcome of Triston Harper’s audition wasn’t a secret: Earlier in the weekend, the show had released a preview of the segment, making clear that Harper would advance to the show’s Hollywood Round.

Still, it was a proud moment for the state: In an episode in which Lionel Richie returned to his own Alabama hometown, an upstart Alabama kid knocked Richie’s socks off singing a song by yet another Alabamian, Jason Isbell.

Harper hails from McIntosh, a Washington County town about 45 miles north of Mobile. He attends Leroy High School and is affiliated with the MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians; among those wishing him well was Tribal Chief Lebaron Byrd. As his audition began, Harper’s drawl was so pronounced that he’d barely finished introducing himself when judge Luke Bryan said he’d been “out-countried.”

Harper told the judges a little of his story, which included some hard times after his mother fled an abusive relationship. “The lowest part of my life was when me and my mom had got homeless and was sleeping on the sidewalk,” he said. “I had just turned 12.”

Harper gave an assured rendition of Isbell’s “Cover Me Up” that prompted Richie and Katy Perry to stand up. “Your voice, you’ve got it,” said Richie. “Your voice is a storytelling voice.”

Perry and Bryan were slightly more reserved but said all the faults they saw were due to Harper’s youth. Bryan was already speculating about how he’d coach Harper: “I could have an afternoon with you and say, ‘Don’t do that anymore,’ ‘Don’t do those two things’ …”

“You’re a shotgun,” said Perry. “Just watch where you’re aiming it.”

This much we know: The next time he fires it, it’ll be in Hollywood. Between now and then, the show will continue with auditions.

It’s worth noting that host Ryan Seacrest also has marked Harper as one to watch. In a recent interview with Parade, Seacrest said Harper exemplifies the way the show’s younger competitors have gotten stronger.

“Well, I think the contestants I’m seeing are coming in at younger ages so well prepared,” Seacrest said, answering a question about the way the show had evolved. “I’m specifically thinking about a 15-year-old boy named Triston [Harper] who was a country singer who comes in with more self-confidence than some of the older contestants have had over the years. And he delivers a very heartfelt, soulful performance with texture and you think, ‘Well, at 15 how much have you seen life and lived?’ It turns out he really has, and he can convey that.”

“American Idol” airs at 7 p.m. Central time Sundays on ABC.