This Bradenton singer’s mom gave her two options. She chose ‘American Idol’

Her “American Idol” journey began with a phone call from mom.

“She said, ‘Listen, you have two options. You can either get a job in corporate America or try your hand at singing,’” Mylon Shamble told the Bradenton Herald.

The 25-year-old Bradenton resident was featured in Sunday’s episode of the hit television show and advanced to the next stage.

Shamble recently traveled to Savannah, Ga., to audition in front of three celebrity judges. She remembers watching the show years ago, and says the experience was a dream come true.

“I was an avid watcher. Even when it got canceled, it was still a hit,” Shamble said. “I remember my aunt throwing parties just to watch it.”

But this isn’t the same show it used to be. Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson are no more. They’ve been replaced by Katy Perry, Lionel Ritchie and Luke Bryan, though Ryan Seacrest still serves as host.

For most contestants, performing in front of an ensemble of celebrity judges can be a daunting task, but Shamble says she was more focused on nailing her performance than the star power in her presence.

“At the end of the day, you’re singing a song. I guess the cameras and national TV can bring pressure,” said Shamble. “If you’re going to be a singer, people are gonna judge you anyway. I just didn’t wanna mess up.”

That’s not to say she wasn’t impressed by the judges, though. Shamble says she thought “American Idol”’s rebirth came along with the perfect cast.

“I love them. I think Katy is the girl’s girl, who everyone has as a friend. Lionel is a legend and brings the old-school knowledge to the panel that I think we need in this day and age to show us what the business used to be,” she said. “Luke is the perfect all-American who represents the blue-collar population.”

In November 2016, Shamble released “HellaGood,” a pop song that she wrote and co-produced along with a member of her band, on SoundCloud.

Shamble’s singing career actually began during her time at Florida Atlantic University. While she worked as a waitress, she began performing shows with a group of friends who needed a vocalist.

“I realized pretty quickly that I could make more money performing with them than I could as a waitress,” Shamble said.

Shamble still performs shows in the area, but she could likely make even more money as the winner of a nationwide musical competition. You can catch Shamble’s audition during Sunday night’s episode of “American Idol” at 8 p.m. on ABC.

This story was originally published March 23, 2018 at 3:38 PM with the headline "This Bradenton singer’s mom gave her two options. She chose ‘American Idol’."