Luke Bryan hit the stage during the American Idol Season 19 finale on Sunday night, joining recently eliminated contestant Casey Bishop for a duet of Bon Jovi‘s “Livin’ on a Prayer.” Bishop became known for her rock and roll style during her time on the show and Bryan has previously performed Bon Jovi’s hit in concert, so the song was a natural fit for both artists.
Bishop was dressed in red and Bryan in black, and the red and black lighting and backgrounds on stage with the pair completed the effect. The lighting ramped up as the performance went on, and smoke filled the stage as Bishop and Bryan sang together and reached for the high notes. Ahead of the performance, Bryan told fans on Instagram that he and Bishop were working on something for the finale, writing, “@caseybishop_ and I worked up something fun for y’all tonight on the #AmericanIdol season finale! Don’t miss it!”
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Bishop was sent home earlier this month ahead of the season finale, finishing in fourth place during the competitive season. After her elimination, the 16-year-old reflected on her time on the show on Instagram, posting a slideshow of photos from the season.
“Every ending is a new beginning. thank you all for everything you do i’m so blessed. last night was everything i could’ve asked for and more, i had a freaking blast,” she wrote before giving a shoutout to eventual Idol winner Chayce Beckham, who Bishop performed with during the semifinals. “finally getting to sing on stage with my absolute favorite person @chaycebeckhammusic was just magical. love you all so much, this is only THE BEGINNING.”
In a video on American Idol‘s YouTube page, Bishop said, “I’ve learned so much, and I’ve grown so much, and I want to thank you all so much for supporting me. And hopefully, you’ll continue to support me for whatever new beginnings come my way.” On May 21, the Florida native released the music video for her new single, “Love Me, Leave Me,” which she previously performed on the show.
Beckham took the Idol crown over fellow finalists Grace Kinstler and Willie Spence, all of whom became fan favorites early on in the season. In addition to Bishop, a number of previous contestants returned to perform including Hunter Metts, Alyssa Wray, Cassandra Coleman, Graham DeFranco, DeShawn Goncalves, Phillip Murphy and more. Bryan’s fellow judges Katy Perry and Lionel Richie performed, as did Luke Combs, Sheryl Crow, Chaka Khan, Mickey Guyton, Lindsey Buckingham, Fall Out Boy, Alessia Cara, Leona Lewis and Macklemore.
