Day Drunk singer Morgan Evans became a country star by accident but he’s very deliberate about Telethon

With more than 800 million streams, an ARIA Award, viral hits and a life in Nashville as a country superstar, it’s incredible to think soon-to-be Telethon performer Morgan Evans came to country music by accident.

Growing up in Newcastle, Evans played in a rock band in the Noughties, while country music was a niche genre only played live at a venue attached to a bowls club on the outskirts of town.

“I remember one night, I went along and it was the first time I played country music publicly,” he tells The West Australian.

“I got up and sang a Glen Campbell song, and then I saw (a poster for) this competition that was called the Road to Tamworth.”

A competition Evans would go on to win, earning a trip to Nashville and the chance to record a song in the city that built the careers of Dolly Parton and our very own Keith Urban.

The change of scenery helped foster subsequent hits such as Kiss Somebody, Day Drunk and Over For You.

Next year Evans will replace Kyle Sandilands as a judge on Australian Idol, but first he’ll make his debut appearance at Telethon.

“It’s a huge event that raises an incredible amount of money for wonderful children’s charities,” he said.

“And, from all the things that they’re telling me I get to do over the few days, it sounds like a bit of fun.”

The singer said he’s “chuffed” to be joining returning judges Marcia Hines and Amy Shark on the Idol panel.

“I just feel like to be able to have a country artist in one of those seats in Australia, after my experience being in this genre and this career for so long, and having country music in prime time, so the fact that a big TV network wants that is really cool,” Evans said.

But, while he’s technically filling Sandilands’ shoes, Evans made it very clear he’s not there to do an impersonation of the controversial former judge.

“I was very clear with the Channel Seven folks, I was like, ‘Look, I’m not going to be any sort of character of a judge’,” he revealed.

“I feel like I can just be myself on this show, because I’ve been doing this a long time, from making records, being on them and writing them.”

However, don’t expect the affable Novocastrian to be anybody’s pushover.

“I do have a lot of experience, and obviously playing a million gigs, I do have opinions, pretty strong opinions about things,” he laughed.

“I’ll be sharing them where I think they can be helpful, but, honestly, it’s my first time doing it, and I’m kind of interested to see what kind of judge I’m going to be myself.”