Who Is Thunderstorm Artis? Meet ‘The Voice’ Finalist Auditioning for ‘American Idol’

Alyssa Norwin February 28, 2025, 12:24 pm

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Thunderstorm Artis on American Idol — Disney/Eric McCandless

American Idol is returning with Season 23 this year, and Thunderstorm Artis is one of the hopefuls auditioning for the show. Fans may actually recognize the rising star, as he was previously a contestant on The Voice and made it far in the competition.

It’s been five years since Artis’ time on the NBC show, and he’s certainly grown as an artist since then. But will it be enough for him to score a win this time around? We’re going to have to wait and see, but for now, learn more about the American Idol contestant below.

Who is Thunderstorm Artis?

Artis is an aspiring singer who was born in Oahu, Hawaii. He comes from a “large musical family,” according to his website. He has performed with artists like Jack Johnson, Train, and the Zac Brown Band.

In addition to covering others’ music, Artis has also released a bunch of his own original music, which he shares on social media and music streaming platforms. He now lives in Nashville where he is pursuing a music career.

What happened to Thunderstorm Artis on The Voice?

Artis was a finalist on Season 18 of The Voice in 2020. He finished the competition in third place behind runner-up Toneisha Harris and winner Todd Tilghman.

During his blind audition, Artis received chair turns from all four judges (Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, John Legend, and Blake Shelton). He wound up choosing Legend as his coach. In the battle rounds, Legend picked Artis as the winner against Cedrice.

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However, in the knockout round, Legend decided to keep Mandi Castillo on his team over Artis. Luckily, the aspiring singer was stolen by Jonas, so he advanced to the live playoffs. At that point, he received enough votes from the public to move on to the semi-finals. With nine artists left, Artis was in the top 4 of the public’s vote and automatically advanced to the finals.

He was Jonas’ only representative in the finals in the former Disney star’s first season as a coach.

Is Thunderstorm Artis married?

Artis is married to Faith Artis. He wrote the song “Take It Slow” about their relationship and she stars in the music video for the track. The two met while Faith was in a family vacation in Hawaii and they attended Ron Artis’ concert, where Thunderstorm was a special guest. “I felt God tell me ‘you’re going to marry him, you’re going to marry him’ ummmm what!?” Faith shared.

Days after the concert, Artis invited Faith and her entire family to his birthday party. Then they spent alone time together one day later “at church playing music and singing,” she revealed (Faith also dabbles in singing).

Three weeks after that, Artis surprised Faith in Australia and spent five weeks with her and her family. It was during that trip that he proposed while they were performing together.

The couple tied the knot in April 2020, just two months after Artis popped the question. For their third anniversary in 2023, Faith revealed that she and Artis plan on having a “proper wedding in Australia soon.”

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A post shared by Faith Artis (@faithfoyartis)

Faith is the founder of Monat, a multi-level marketing company that specializes in “naturally based, anti-aging haircare, skincare, and wellness innovations.”

“I originally started Monat because my husband and I needed an extra source of income,” her website says. “I also had zero friends after moving to a new country and felt this opportunity had the potential to give me both. But my ‘why’ has changed since joining this amazing opportunity, and now my focus is to help others get their dream hair and skin while using products that are clean and safe. I also love equipping others with the tools to succeed in their own Monat business. Monat has changed my life in so many ways than just one.”

Does Thunderstorm Artis have kids?

Artis and his wife have two children. Their eldest son, Ezekiel, was born in June 2022, followed by his younger brother, Zion, in September 2024.

Faith gave birth to Zion at home and opened up about the draining birth story on Instagram. She was in labor for 28 hours with the little one and he arrived seven days late.

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A post shared by THUNDERSTORM ARTIS (@thunderstormartis)

“My whole pregnancy I felt that he was going to be a bringer of peace… and he is just that,” Faith gushed about her youngest child. “He is easy, calm, peaceful, and has brought so much joy into our little family of now four.”

She also shared more about Ezekiel in honor of his 2nd birthday in June 2024, writing, “He is the cheekiest, most loving, most joyful, most passionate, highly sensitive, and most happy lil boy you’ll ever meet.”

American Idol, Season 23 Post-Oscars Special, Sunday, March 2, ABC