Callista Clark has been performing onstage since age 11. The then 17-year-old made a splash in February 2021 with her debut EP Real To Me. The lead single “It’s ‘Cause I Am” peaked at No. 30 on the Billboard Hot Country songs chart. Four months later, Clark made her Grand Ole Opry debut. Recently, the country music up-and-comer announced her engagement to a former American Idol top 14 finalist.
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Callista Clark Followed Garrett Jacobs on ‘American Idol’: “I Thought He Was Cute”
American Idol fans may remember Garrett Jacobs from season 16. His audition of James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” earned him three “yeses” from the judges. The Bossier City, Louisiana native made it through several rounds before being knocked out just shy of the Top 10.
On Sunday (July 14), Clark announced the couple’s engagement on her Instagram page. The two stand together in a field as Jacobs holds his fiancé close, tenderly kissing her on top of her head.
“The day I became a fiancé,” wrote the “Gave It Back Broken” singer in the caption, adding emojis of a white heart and engagement ring. “6.22.24.”
In a recent interview with People, the pair revealed they have been quietly dating for the last three years. Clark, 20, explained that the couple “wanted to be very intentional” and keep their relationship private until the right moment.
“When we got to the point where we wanted to announce that we were engaged, we wanted that to be the first time people knew that we were officially dating the whole time,” she said.
Jacobs caught Clark’s eye all the way back in 2018, when she followed his American Idol journey. “I followed him because I thought he was cute,” she admitted.
How It Happened
The pair met in person five years ago and kept things strictly platonic until November 2021, when Clark invited the American Idol finalist backstage at the Grand Ole Opry. Afterwards, they went to the movies together for their first official date.
Fast forward to June 2024, when Jacobs, 24, popped the question during a trip to the Tennessee countryside. The “Into the Bar” singer called Clark ” the most kind hearted and loving and understanding person that I’ve ever met.”
Clark couldn’t resist gushing, either. ” He is genuinely just the nicest person ever, so it’s really hard to not love him,” the rising star said.
Featured image by Boston Schulz/Shutterstock
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