Elijah McCormick, of Hoke County, is heading to Nashville next month to compete for a spot on the popular television show, “American Idol.” McCormick recently graduated from Pinecrest High School in 2019 and is currently enrolled at Sandhills Community College, where he studies medical billing and coding. Despite his busy school schedule and job in Aberdeen, where he works as a tech for a local ophthalmologist, McCormick also manages to sing at weddings, birthday parties, and church on Sundays. He planned on auditioning for the show earlier, but his plans were delayed after he was involved in a life-threatening car crash, which left him in critical condition and needing numerous surgeries. McCormick will leave for Nashville on November 8 and will perform in front of Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, and Katy Perry.