The music director of Celebration Church in Franklin, Virginia gave God the glory as he advanced to the Hollywood round of "American Idol."
"God gets all the glory!" Tobias Hill said in the caption of the show's promotional video he shared on Instagram.
In the video clip reported by The Christian Post, Hill impressed the judges with his rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Knocks Me Off My Feet" while playing the piano.
Alongside his talent for singing, he unveiled that he is also a dancer, producer, songwriter, an arranger and entertainer.
Though Luke Bryan said that Hill is not vocally perfect, he wondered why the latter "isn't already a star."
"... you're put together amazingly. You got it all going on... Everything you present about yourself seems really great," Bryan also stated.
Moreover, Katy Perry emphasized that Hill has all the relevant traits needed for the competition.
"... you really have all of the fundamental things that are necessary to build an American Idol. So, I'm excited for you. I think you're gonna learn fast," she said.
Lionel Richie, on the other hand, admired the contestant's skill in entertaining people.
"I really do like the enthusiasm of your showmanship. So, I like where you're going. And I think it might be something that will spark, certainly makes people sweat," Richie shared.
After the judges gave their comments, they went on to cast their votes.
"You're going to Hollywood!" they declared in unison.
Shadow and Act revealed that Hill has become an early fan favorite.
Fans reportedly criticized the judges on the way they talked about the contestant's performance.
A Twitter user observed that "they're being too hard" on him.
"Tobias Hill, great personality, confident but not cocky, tickling those keys and singing sweetly. He is a ray of sunshine, such a spastic energy. He brought them modulations. Excellent!" another fan wrote.
Hill hails from Como, North Carolina.
He completed his secondary education at Hertford Country Early College High School and earned an associate degree at the Roanoke-Chowan Community College. He then studied Music at the North Carolina A&T State University, graduating Cum Laude with 3.5 GPA. Further, he joined Liberty University and got his masters degree in Marketing in 2020.
While in college, he founded his own band, "3rd Lane," an R&B/Pop group. By winning the HBCU Got Talent in his native state, the multi-talented musician enabled the band to compete for studio time by a record label in Charlotte.
In July 2019, he released his own EP titled "Love and Hate."
He also helps his fellow artists through creating the platform "Make a Difference Artist Showcase.''
He currently works as a music teacher at Southamptom Middle School in Virginia and serves as a keyboardist in his church.
His musical inspirations include Wonder, Brian McKnight and Tank.
Upon meeting the latter during a concert, Hill even shared the experience on social media and commended the singer's authenticity.
"... Real R&B is still alive and there are artists in the game keeping it authentic & genuine," he wrote.
