American Idol Top 13 Contestant Paul McDonald Was on a Paste Sampler

<i>American Idol</i> Top 13 Contestant Paul McDonald Was on a Paste Sampler

We’ve finally got a dog in this fight. Paste hasn’t maybe paid as much attention to American Idol as some other pop-culture sites out there, but we’re in it to win this time. We just found out that Top 13 contestant Paul McDonald is the Nashville singer/songwriter who fronted the band Hightide Blues, who appeared on Paste Sampler #56 back in September of 2009. Hightide Blues became Grand Magnolias before McDonald was selected for the show.

McDonald has already shown a less-than-typical American Idol sensibility, performing a Grace Potter song which got cut and trying to get Avett Brothers and Mumford and Sons songs cleared by producers, according to a source close to the singer. Tonight, for his “musical idol” pick, he’ll be covering Ryan Adams, we’re told.

Crystal Bowersox proved last year that you don’t need to be a diva to go far in the competition, so best of luck to Paul! Check out his Idol clip below.