American Idol? Danville Native Grace Leer Vying For Top 20

DANVILLE, CA — Danville native Grace Leer and her fans are waiting to see whether the country singer will make it into the top 20 contestants of American Idol.

Judges put the vote to viewers, asking them to decide whether Leer or fellow contestant Lauren Mascitti should move forward. Voting closed at 6 a.m. Tuesday on the West Coast.

"No matter what happens, I will never stop doing this," Leer said on her Instagram.

Leer wowed the judges with a rendition of her favorite song, Aretha Franklin's "Natural Woman," performed at a beachfront resort on O'ahu. She said she cried when she stepped offstage, feeling like she had found her calling.

"Making music and performing is when my heart truly feels full and I am so blessed to be able to do it," Leer wrote.

But before she was a TV star, Leer was a San Ramon Valley High School soccer champ, going on to play for Cal.

Leer, now a Nashville resident, said she's unsure when votes will trickle in, but she plans to keep fans posted on the outcome.

"Thank you for being in my corner," she said. "Remember no matter what, I am never gonna stop doing what I love most!"

Watch Leer take the stage:

View this post on Instagram

Here is the full clip of my @americanidol performance in Hawaii singing “Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin. This is by far my favorite song to sing and it’s a cover I play in Nashville all the time. But this night was something special. Being able to sing my favorite song on this big of a stage fighting for a spot in the Top 20 was incredible and I will never forget this night or this feeling. Of course y’all know I’m emotional and I lost it when I walked off stage. It’s that feeling of like “that is what I am meant to do” and it’s this fire that heats up in you! I just felt so at home on that stage. I cannot thank you all enough for all of your support. It’s up to you now guys! Keep sharing and voting you don’t know how much it means to me. We can do this Team Grace!! #teamgrace #americanidol
A post shared by Grace Leer (@graceleermusic) on Apr 5, 2020 at 11:20pm PDT