Murfreesboro Native Jordan McCullough Earns Golden Ticket on “American Idol”

Feb 11, 2026 at 08:03 am by WGNS


MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WGNS) — A Murfreesboro native is headed to Hollywood after earning a coveted golden ticket on American Idol Monday night.

Jordan McCullough, a graduate of Oakland High School, advanced in the competition following a performance that brought the judges to their feet. The 27-year-old sang “The Goodness of God,” a gospel hit by CeCe Winans.

McCullough received a standing ovation from judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Carrie Underwood before being awarded a golden ticket to the Hollywood round of American Idol.

In addition to his television appearance, McCullough serves as a worship leader at Zeal Church in Nashville. Through Zeal Worship, he has helped release five singles to streaming platforms. One of those songs, “Offering,” released in 2022, has garnered more than 150,000 streams on Spotify.

McCullough is no stranger to national auditions. He previously tried out for The Voice in the fall of 2019.

With his golden ticket secured, the Murfreesboro native now advances to Hollywood, where he will compete alongside other hopefuls for a chance to continue on the nationally televised singing competition.

Tags: American Idol golden ticket Carrie Underwood judge gospel singer Tennessee Hollywood round American Idol Jordan McCullough Lionel Richie judge Luke Bryan judge Murfreesboro Tennessee Nashville worship leader Oakland High School Murfreesboro Offering single 2022 Rutherford County News Spotify streams 150000 The Goodness of God CeCe Winans The Voice audition 2019 WGNS Murfreesboro Zeal Church Nashville Zeal Worship music
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