Who Is ‘American Idol’ Contestant Chris Tungseth? Meet the Season 24 Singer

Alyssa Norwin March 27, 2026, 1:27 pm

Chris Tungseth has made it to the Live Shows in Season 24 of American Idol. Along with the rest of the Top 20, he gave a pre-taped performance in Hawaii earlier this year, and his fate in the competition will be announced during the upcoming March 30 episode. Only 14 contestants will be moving on.

From his very first audition on American Idol, Chris impressed judges Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, and Carrie Underwood. He moved through Hollywood Week and the Ohana Round to make it to where he’s at in the competition now.

In addition to having a powerful singing voice, Chris also has an emotional backstory involving his parents. Scroll down to learn more.

What does Chris Tungseth do for a living?

Chris is a construction worker, according to MPR News. In 2025, he graduated from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona, with a degree in exercise science.

He chose his college major after developing a passion for physical therapy when his parents were sick (more on that below). However, his exercise science career was put on hold when a friend signed him up for American Idol auditions just months after graduation. Now, he’s pursuing music.

Where is Chris Tungseth from?

Chris is from Fergus Falls, Minnesota. He was born in Mankato, Minnesota, and his family relocated to Fergus Falls for his father’s ministry career in 2007.

“Growing up in Minnesota was the best,” Chris said during his audition. “My childhood was so fun and so simple.”

What happened to Chris Tungseth’s parents?

During his American Idol audition, Chris opened up about the death of his father, Mark Tungseth. Mark died on May 8, 2023, after a two-year battle with acute myeloid leukemia, per his obituary. He was diagnosed in August 2021.

Mark received his diagnosis 12 years after Chris’ mom, Cathy, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Chris shared in his audition. “When I was 10 years old my mom was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis,” he revealed. “It was pretty aggressive. Right away, my mom was in and out of the hospital. She was four hours away. My dad would be traveling back and forth, trying to take care of our family.”

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Cathy is now in an assisted care facility, but Chris and his three siblings help take care of her. “My siblings moved home to help me take care of [my parents],” the singer shared. “All of us put life on hold, but there’s nothing else we would’ve done. It was the biggest gift for us to be close to them.”

For his audition, Chris sang an original song called “Lonely Road,” which he dedicated to his late father. He admitted to GCU News that he was “scared” to share his story at first.

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“Not a lot of people outside my family knew about my life,” Chris explained. “I didn’t want to use a traumatic story to build a career. But at the same time, it’s a chance for me to reach a lot of people that have a similar story, that want to connect and need music to get through difficult times.”

American Idol, Season 24, Mondays, 8/7c, ABC