Sam Kelly-Cohen, known professionally as Kayko, is an American singer who gained attention with his mesmerizing performance in the audition of the 22nd season of American Idol. Kelly-Cohen is an accidental American Idol contestant who got a golden ticket through the audition. Sam calls himself an “Alt-Pop Music Boy that makes Happy Songs out of Sad Words.”
Sam is a North Broward Preparatory School graduate, who originally only came to accompany his friend Abby Blake’s audition on the piano. Surprisingly, the judges asked Sam to sing an original song called “Time of Your Life,” recorded by his band Kayko. Colton Dixon and Laine Hardy were the other two contestants who had been selected for the next round and did not want to audition initially.
Sam Kelly-Cohen biography
| Born name | Sam Kelly-Cohen |
| Nickname | Kayko |
| Gender | Male |
| Birth date | 2001 |
| Birthplace | Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
| Residence | Nashville |
| Profession | Singer |
| Nationality | American |
Sam Kelly-Cohen age
American Idol contestant Sam Kelly-Cohen’s age as of 2024 is 23 years. Born in Florida in June 2001, Sam lost her mother when he was 18 in 2019. He took music as a therapy to overcome the grief of her mother’s demise. His music genre is ‘alt-pop.’
Sharing a video of his mother on his Instagram page, he says, “Two years ago, my mom passed away. My grieving process is ongoing. But writing this song has helped heal me so much, and all I can hope is that if you’re missing someone that’s no longer in your life, this song can hopefully help you too.”
| Age in 2024 | 23 years |
| Birth date | June 2001 |
| Parents | American couple |
| Birth year | 2001 |
| Hometown | Nashville, Tennessee |
| Occupation | Singer |
Sam Kelly-Cohen parents and family
Sam Kelly-Cohen was born to an American couple, but he lost his mother and sister at a young age. Mankato-based retired psychologist Greg Nelson and his educator wife Carol Nelson supported Sam on his live performance at the American Idol show. Both call Sam as their ‘nephson.’
| Father | American |
| Mother | American |
| Siblings | Emily |
| Native | Nashville |
| Citizenship | American |
Sam Kelly-Cohen on American Idol
Sam auditioned in Nashville with the song “Time of Your Life” and got a big yes from all three judges, including Katy Perry. Kayko gave his solo performance and sang an original song called “WHAT IF?” on the American Idol arena. He survived the Final Judgment and got the Hollywood ticket by becoming Top 24 semifinalists.
On his love for music
“I believe that humans are exceptionally good at two things: stories and love. My passion is to share stories and spread love through my music and story. Success to me is when I can help listeners feel something and heal their own personal scars.”