Learn ‘American Idol’ Fan-Favorite Laine Hardy’s Backstory

On Monday's (Apr. 22) American Idol episode, viewers learned the backstory of fan favorite contestant Laine Hardy.

In case you were wondering, here are some quick facts about Hardy: His favorite food is steak, the last person he texted was his mom, and his hidden talent is using duct tape for any situation.

The Louisiana native tells the audience that his home life is "all woods, swamp, wildlife." When he's home you can find him hunting or fishing.

Who Is Laine Hardy? 

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"I was very uncertain about the choice of coming back this year," Hardy explains. His friend Ashton Gill called him and asked if he'd play guitar for her during her own Idol audition, to which he agreed. "I came here to support Ashton and play guitar for her, and I thought about it, but I decided I'm not going to audition this year." (That sure took a turn, didn't it?)

Gill did end up getting eliminated on the show. "She didn't have no hard feelings about it. She was glad she got the experience and stuff. I definitely relate...I told myself the same thing. I was like, 'just keep going,'" Hardy notes.

Judge Katy Perry made a remark that he was going "Hollywood," which Hardy attributes to his gleaming smile. Turns out there's a story behind that nice grill, though. "Katy thought I went all Hollywood with my teeth, but about nine years ago, I got in a dirt bike accident on some asphalt and my teeth got, like, grated down to my gum," he explains. "All my life, I've been, like, embarrassed to smile and stuff, because my teeth looked so bad. So, recently, I got the new teeth and I'm smiling all the time now."

Even though Hardy got cut from the show last year, that made him only work harder. "After I got cut last year, I went home and I played my butt off. I usually play at bars, festivals and fairs. The name of my band is the Band Hardy. I have my brother and my cousin Trent, and a couple buddies. It built up my confidence and my skills," he says.

The favorite part of the show for Hardy isn't the opportunities, rather the people. "The best part about American Idol is just meeting different people and making good friends out here."

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