White County High School (WCHS) graduate and singer-songwriter Eli Palmer has earned a spot as a contestant on Season 23 of American Idol.
Born and raised in Cleveland Palmer is a 2020 graduate of White County High School and a 2024 graduate of Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn., where he majored in Business and studied music abroad.
While performing and traveling with the Lee University Choir, he met his girlfriend, Haley Esquinance, and the couple began writing and performing music together in local churches, with youth groups, and evangelistic ministries, reaching audiences across the Southeast and even as far as Israel.
Last summer they decided to audition separately for American Idol—just to “give it a try”—and now, their journey is about to be shared with the world.
They will be among the competitors Sunday night on ABC and Hulu starting at 8:00.