GREAT WHITE's BRETT CARLISLE auditions for 'American Idol'
13-02-2026
GREAT WHITE singer Brett Carlisleauditioned for “American Idol” on the episode broadcast Monday night, February 9.
Carlisle, who joined GREAT WHITE in late 2022, sang GREAT WHITE‘s classic ballad “House Of Broken Love”, backed by his bandmates Mark Kendall on guitar and Michael Lardie on piano.
The 28-year-old Carlisle impressed “Idol” judges Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan at the audition — which took place at Nashville’s Belmont University — enough to earn him a golden ticket to the long-running TV singing competition’s Hollywood round. Richie gushed, telling Carlisle: “Especially when you rock, you’re going to be the poster child for this.”
Underwood also asked Carlisle, Kendall and Lardie to play a bit of GREAT WHITE‘s 1989 hit version of “Once Bitten, Twice Shy”, a cover of a 1975 song written and originally performed by former MOTT THE HOOPLE frontman Ian Hunter.
With his golden ticket secured, the Alabama native now advances to Hollywood, where he will compete alongside other hopefuls for a chance to continue on the nationally televised singing competition. There the contestants will face more rigorous challenges in hopes of advancing further in the season.
“American Idol” auditions continue February 16, 7-9 p.m. Central on ABC.
Asked what his “Idol” audition was like, Brett told AL.com: “I’ve never been with that many singers at that level before in a room, and it was cool that we all got to nerd out with the time that we had in the waiting rooms and everything else. Some really, really good people, all genres.”
Kendall added: “Well, I was personally thrilled for him. But it was such a great experience on ‘Idol’, and it was so fun. They really did a lot with us. They filmed us all doing interviews, and Brett‘s doing interviews, and it was really exciting. It was just a really fun day, long day. Like, 12 hours there from six in the morning till six at night. But it was a great experience for Brett, and we really enjoyed ourselves. We don’t want to slow him down for any opportunities or so we were happy to support that.”
Carlisle was officially named GREAT WHITE‘s new vocalist in October 2022. Brett joined the group as the replacement for Andrew Freeman (LAST IN LINE), who sang for GREAT WHITE for only five months.
GREAT WHITE guitarist Mark Kendall has revealed that he is battling stage four kidney cancer last November.
On Saturday (November 22), the 68-year-old musician, who formed GREAT WHITE in 1977 under the band’s original name of DANTE FOX, took to his Facebook page to write: “Hello Friends! Just wanted everyone to know I was diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney cancer a few months ago. I wanted to wait to go public until I knew a little more about it.
“Just to give you an update the tumor has shrunk from 13 centimeters to 8, so I’m going in the right direction with my first scan.
“There isn’t a cure for cancer but what I have is manageable.
“I have the best doctors in the world and one of them invented immunotherapy which is the treatment I’m on.
“I only had to do 3 radiation treatments which is a good thing! To be clear, I don’t need any financial help but I’ll take prayers & encouragement!
“I’m gonna fight this thing and be okay. People in my support group were diagnosed with my exact issue up to 20 yrs ago, so that is encouraging!
“Blessings All!”
Born into a musically gifted family, Kendall grew up in Huntington Beach, California. His father played jazz trumpet; his mother sang her heart out to jazz tunes before adoring audiences. His grandfather, too, was a virtuoso on the piano. Citing Jimi Hendrix, CREAM and THE DOORS as early influences, Kendall‘s passion and natural abilities got him hooked on guitar.
“The thing I love about the guitar is it’s an instrument that allows me to express myself in how I’m feeling at any given time,” Kendall said. “All the musicians that made me want to play guitar, played straight from their heart with a lot of feeling in their playing. They pour their very soul into every note. My feeling is no matter what instrument you play, do it with passion and feeling. When music is delivered in that way it creates emotions, which can even make a person cry at times. That to me is real music with a human feel that no machine could ever duplicate.”
Kendall‘s band DANTE FOX had two singers before settling with Jack Russell. The band’s 1982 performance at the Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood caught the eye of record executive Alan Niven. Niven suggested the band change it’s name to reflect upon the striking color of Kendall‘s blonde hair — GREAT WHITE.
Since 1982, the GREAT WHITE sound has captivated audiences worldwide with crushing blues-based guitar riffs and swagger that invokes an emotional high for anyone that listens. The band’s core writing team of Kendall and Michael Lardie (keys, guitar) forged numerous hits over the years, and when Audie Desbrow joined in ’85, the grooves hooked an amazing stride.
Best known for their Grammy-nominated “Best Hard Rock Performance” hit, the gold selling “Once Bitten, Twice Shy”, GREAT WHITE has sold over 10 million albums worldwide, has six Top 100 Billboard hits, nine Top 200 Billboard albums, two multi-platinum albums, five gold records and clocked the top of MTV video four times.
Mark has been married for more than two decades years to his wife Bridget and has four children: Jonathan, Taylor, Shane and Ashley.