At just 17, Lucas Leon easily impressed all three judges during the audition round of “American Idol” season 24, performing an original song titled “Fall In Love Someday.” His raspy and soulful country voice took him all the way to the Top 9 before being shockingly eliminated during Disney Night.

After his run on Idol, Leon returned to school and earned his high school diploma. The milestone was made even more meaningful when he was allowed to perform at his graduation ceremony with a video showing him strumming his guitar in his gown.

Lucas Leon Gives Heartfelt Performance at His High School Graduation

It’s officially graduation season, with 17-year-old Gallatin, Tennessee native and “American Idol” finalist Lucas Leon sharing that he just earned his high school diploma. The Top 9 contestant took to Instagram to not only mark the milestone but also share that he got to perform during his graduation ceremony.

In a video clip shared on Instagram, Leon is seen wearing a red graduation gown as he takes the stage with his guitar in hand. He delivers a heartfelt performance of an original song in front of his classmates, marking a very special end to his high school journey.

“It was an honor to sing at my graduation this past weekend. So thankful for my time at my school and how supportive they were of my journey. Shout out class of ‘26. Up from here!” He captioned his video.

Leon’s comment section quickly filled with congratulatory remarks and fans who shared that they supported him throughout his Idol journey.

“CONGRATULATIONS Lucas 🎉 you were my favorite on American IDOL I’m rooting for you you got this on to the next amazing chapter of your beautiful life !!!” A fan shared.

“Great job Lucas! I was hoping you’d come in at least 2nd on American Idol! I know you’ll go far! Congrats!” Another comment read.

“Congrats Lucas! You were one of my favs on American Idol. Class of 26!! 👏👏👏🎉🎉🎉🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳,” a fan wrote.

Leon Reflects on His ‘American Idol’ Journey

Fans and the “American Idol” judges alike were shocked when Leon was eliminated during Disney Night. His final performance was a rendition of “Life is a Highway” for the film “Cars.”

However, Leon left the competition with a slew of new fans and later reflected on his Idol run on Instagram.

“First of all, I just wanna say how thankful I am for the whole experience I had with @americanidol. I made some amazing friends, learned a lot, and overall had a great time. I’ve discovered a lot about myself as a person and as an artist out here. Thank you to everyone who voted and supported me along the way!” He captioned his post.

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He continued, “Secondly, y’all haven’t seen nothing yet. I’m so pumped to hit the ground running with everything an artist does and more. If you discovered me on American Idol, you’ve only seen a tiny bit of me and I can’t wait for all the new folks to watch me go for gold with everything I do. I can guarantee y’all will see me around.”

Disney Night wasn’t the last time fans saw Leon on the Idol stage. He returned for the season’s finale, where he got the chance to duet with his idol, country singer Brad Paisley. Together, they performed his 2002 hit, “I’m Gonna Miss Her.”

Sharing photos of that night on Instagram, Leon revealed that Paisley invited him to sing alongside him at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. “@bradpaisley just invited me to come play the @opry 🤯 So crazy. So grateful. Thank you Brad and @americanidol!” He captioned his post.