Wait, Wasn’t Thunderstorm Artis on 'The Voice'? Looking Into His Past TV Appearances

If you're a fan of singing competition shows, there are a few standout contestants who are definitely on your radar, and 28-year-old Thunderstorm Artis is probably one of them.

The singer and guitarist has been turning heads on American Idol Season 23 with performances like "Don't Let Me Let You Go" and a powerful cover of Bob Marley's "Is This Love."

Originally from Hawaii and now living in Nashville with his wife Faith Artis and their two kids, Thunderstorm (yes, that’s his birth name) is a force to be reckoned with. But if he looks familiar, it’s not just from American Idol and social media. Wait, was Thunderstorm Artis on The Voice too?

Yep, Thunderstorm Artis did compete on The Voice, Season 18, to be exact, which aired back in 2020. He entered the competition with a rendition of The Beatles’ "Blackbird," guitar in hand, and had Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, and John Legend hitting their buttons almost instantly.

Blake Shelton held out just a little longer, but even he couldn’t deny the talent and turned his chair long before Thunderstorm's performance ended.

With all four judges vying for him, Thunderstorm ended up choosing John Legend as his coach, which made for quite the pairing. And in case you’re wondering how far he got, the answer is pretty darn far. He finished in third place, right behind runner-up Toneisha Harris and winner Todd Tilghman, who was on Team Blake.

So yeah, American Idol isn’t Thunderstorm's first rodeo with talent competitions.

Since his days on The Voice, Thunderstorm has continued to rise in popularity — his Instagram following has climbed to over 85,000, and he’s racked up more than 40,000 followers on TikTok. With a growing fanbase came even more music, and by March 2025, he was ready to take another shot at being crowned the winner of a singing competition.

So, he auditioned for American Idol with a song that’s near and dear to his heart, "Don’t Let Me Let You Go."

Thunderstorm co-wrote the track with Dakota Striplin and Phoebe Scott, for his wife, and released it on YouTube in February 2024, where it's already garnered over 65,000 views — and that number continues to grow thanks to American Idol fans who are just now discovering his talent.

Just like he did on The Voice, Thunderstorm is making a splash on American Idol, having made it into the Top 24 with hopes of taking home the win (and the $250,000 cash prize).

Since it’s been a few years since Thunderstorm last appeared on TV, some folks seemed to have overlooked the fact that he previously competed on The Voice.

In a clip shared to the American Idol Instagram page featuring Thunderstorm’s audition, one person commented, "Wait he was on The Voice years ago," to which someone confirmed, and another chimed in, "They robbed him."

Although Thunderstorm didn’t take home the win back then, fans are rooting for him now more than ever, with many saying he should’ve been signed years ago.