When Phillip Phillips auditioned for “American Idol” season 11 in 2012, he impressed the judges, Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler, with his soulful renditions of “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder and “Thriller” by Michael Jackson, where he also got to show off his impressive guitar skills. Phillips earned a golden ticket to Hollywood and continued towards the finals.
During his time on the show, Phillips was also being largely compared to Dave Matthews of Dave Matthews Band. In fact, Phillips took a risk by performing one of their deep cuts during the Top 6, which garnered mixed reviews from the judges, with Lopez calling it “too artsy.” Despite this, Phillips ultimately won the show, beating out runner-up Jessica Sanchez.
In a recent interview, Phillips opens up about why he took that risk to play a Dave Matthews Band song, knowing that the song might not resonate with the judges, who might not be familiar with it.
Phillips Phillips Shares Why He Chose to Perform Dave Matthews Band’s ‘The Stone’ During ‘American Idol’ Top 6
“American Idol” winner Phillip Phillips was a guest on “The Corner of Grey Street Podcast,” a podcast dedicated to the Dave Matthews Band, where he explained why he chose to perform the band’s lesser-known track “The Stone” during the crucial Top 6 round of his “Idol” journey.
“The reason I did the song was that a lot of people were comparing, you know, the whole Dave comparison, and, you know, to me, there was no comparison. There’s only one Dave,” he began. “And I was like, you know what, just to piss people off or make them like me, either way, I’m just going to do this song.”
Phillips shared that Matthews actually “approved” him to use this song, stating that contestants needed to ask permission beforehand. “He approved it, and I was like, ‘Oh, shoot, I gotta do it.”
The singer said he wished he could have had more control over how his TV performance looked, wanting to perform the song with just his acoustic guitar. However, he had to use the “Idol” band, which ended up being “really good” anyway.
When the host shared that he was shocked to see Phillips perform a deep cut such as “The Stone” on “American Idol,” Phillips shared, “I’m going to do a deep cut, just to screw with people. If I go home, I go home. That was one of my favorites to play by him.”
In fact, it was the first time a contestant had ever covered a Dave Matthews Band song on the show.
What Did the ‘American Idol’ Judges Think of His Dave Matthews Band Cover?
After performing “The Stone” during the Top 6, the judges had mixed reviews. According to AntsMarching.org, Steven Tyler of Aerosmith “acted as if he had never heard the words ‘Dave Matthews Band’ in that order in a sentence.” Jennifer Lopez was not a fan either, calling it “too artsy,” although Randy Jackson praised his performance.
Still, Phillips made it to the Top 5 and would go on to win the whole season. During the finale, he performed what would become his biggest hit, “Home.”
Dave Matthews Responded to Phillips Cover in the Best Way
Matthews was actually asked about Phillips’ cover of “The Stone,” and though he was unable to watch it, he told New York Magazine’s Vulture (via Diffuser): “More power to him; I don’t mind. I wouldn’t imagine that imitating me would bring any quality of popularity, but that’s OK if it does.”
When told that Phillips was being compared to him, Matthews joked, “Oh, I don’t feel threatened. I am what I am. Maybe I paved the way for him. I wish him the best of luck! He should kick my [expletive] maybe I can retire and he can take over my band.”
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‘American Idol’ Winner Phillip Phillips Looks Back on What He Thought Was a Major Gamble