Local musician's journey on American Idol

Here's a look back at the journey of Bakersfield singer Dillon James on season 18 of American Idol.

LOOK."OC: THE WINNER OF THE NEXTAMERICANIDOL IS..."WHILE BAKERSFIELD'S DILLON JAMESDIDN'T TAKE THETOP SPOT - HE SAYS HE COULD NOTBE MORE EXCITED FOR HIS FUTURE.HERE'S A LOOK BACK AT DILLON'SJOURNEY.WHEN SEASON 18 OF AMERICAN IDOLFIRST BEGAN BACK INFEBRUARY - BAKERSFIELD'S OWNDILLON JAMES WAS ACLEAR FRONT RUNNER.(NATS OF AUDITION AND JUDGES)KATY PERRY: "NICE DILLON."HE AUDITIONED IN LOS ANGELES - ADREAM FOR MANY MUSICIANS.

BUTHE WANTS HIS HOMETOWN TO KNOW...HE'S PROUD OF WHEREHE CAME FROM."SOT ABOUT LOVINGBAKERSFIELD/GROWING UP HERE."DILLON QUICKLY MADE HIS WAYTHROUGH HOLLYWOOD(NATS OF HOLLYWOOD?)...BEFORE SECURING HIS SPOT IN THETOP 20... WITH THISRENDITION OF BOB DYLAN'S 'THETIMES, THEY ARE A-CHANGIN'.(NATS OF HAWAII PERFORMANCE)DILLON SAYS HE'LL REMEMBER THATWEEK IN HAWAII FOREVER - ANDNOT JUST BECAUSE OF HISPERFORMANCE..."SOT ABOUT TALKING WITH LIONELRICHIE"THE NEXT WEEK - CONTESTANTSBEGAN TO PERFORM FROMHOME...(NATS OF MAY 3RD PERFORMANCE -'LET IT BE ME' PERFORMED ATHOME)...DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUSPANDEMIC."SOT ABOUT PERFORMING FROM HOME"EACH WEEK - AMERICA VOTED TOKEEP DILLON IN THE GAME...BRINGING HIM ALL THE WAY TO THESEASON FINALE.AND SUNDAY NIGHT - THECONTESTANTS DWINDLED FROMSEVEN... TO ONE.AND WHILE DILLON JAMES WASN'TTHE LAST MAN STANDING - HESAYS - FOR HIM - IT WAS NEVERJUST ABOUT WINNING."SOT ABOUT HIS FUTURE"OUTCUE IS DILLON SOT: "IT'S BEENA GOOD JOURNEY FOR ME SO FAR TOBE HONEST."DILLON ADVANCED TO THE TOP FIVEBEFORE HE WAS SENT HOME.SAMANTHA DIAZ, ALSO KNOWN AS'JUST SAM' TOOK THE CROWN LASTNIGHT.IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO WATCH THATFULL INTERVIEW WITHDILLON... YOU CAN FIND IT ON OURWEBSITE... TURN TO 23 DOT COM.NOW WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THEFINALISTS REACTION ON HISINSTAGRAM PAGE.....HTTPS:.IN OT