SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) - What does it take to get a country boy ready for the bright lights of Hollywood?
He’s got the voice. The stage presence. The original songs. Now he just needs some new Ariat boots with a custom design.
Harrison’s Workwear in Spartanburg reached out to Dorman sophomore and American Idol contestant Caleb Kennedy offering to provide clothing and boots for him to wear on the show.
“I’ve been on the school board as long as Caleb’s been in D6 schools,” owner Kevin Harrison said. “I’m just so proud of these kids, and when I saw this happening for him, I thought, ‘What can we do to help him?‘”
Harrison’s Workwear invited Kennedy and his mother into the Reidville Road store, after hours. They provided Kennedy with three pair of blue jeans, three button-down shirts, a belt, and a pair of Ariat boots, totaling more than $700.
According to American Idol Net, contestants receive $450 a week for their fashion budget, which they use to buy the clothing they wear in their performances. This is provided once the live shows begin. At this point, Kennedy is responsible for the cost of his clothing for the show.
Harrison wanted to give Kennedy clothes that came from a store in his community. “To know when he’s buttoning up that shirt to go on TV,” Harrison said. “He’ll remember that the people back home are in his corner.”
Austin Sellars and Maggie Cooper, owners of Southern Head in Pauline, which specializes in Southern apparel, also reached out to Kennedy. They have provided several Southern Head hats for him to take on his trip to American Idol.
“I’m from Pauline; he’s from Roebuck,” Sellars said. “It’s a small town thing, and we wanted to support him.”
Kennedy’s talent may not be the only Dorman student represented on American Idol this year. He will hopefully be taking junior Abigail Burnett’s, artistic designs on stage with him.
Burnett, 16, has been designing shoes in Dorman’s art classes since 9th grade. She designed a pair of boots and a cowboy hat for Kennedy to wear while on American Idol.
The two students did not know each other but had a mutual friend that encouraged Burnett to reach out to Kennedy about the boot design.
“I was nervous to contact him, but I got his number from a friend and texted him with the idea,” Burnett said.
Burnett’s art teacher, Dr. Amy Workman, reached out to Harrison for help to turn Burnett’s design idea into a reality.
“We will either use an existing boot and stitch Abby’s design onto it and get it sealed,” Harrison said. “Or we’ll have one of our vendors take the design she has and will sew her design onto the leather and craft the boot. It would be a one-of-a-kind Abigail Burnett design.”
Either way, Burnett is excited about the potential for her designs to be worn by Kennedy on “American Idol.”
“I’ve never been super confident in my art,” Burnett said. “When I originally designed Caleb’s boots, I wasn’t going to pitch it to him but am glad I did. It would have been a huge mistake if I hadn’t.”
Kennedy will soon be heading toward the bright lights of Hollywood, but he will be taking many reminders of his hometown with him.
Follow Kennedy’s American Idol journey Sundays on ABC.
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