Arthur Gunn

In 2018, Arthur Gunn began recording music and adopted his stage name around the same time. He was inspired by the works of Arthur Rimbaud, a 19th-century French poet, stating, “His words were so modern, and I thought his name, Arthur, would make a good stage name. A lot of people know me as Dibesh, but Arthur is easier to use as a stage name.” The choice was somewhat spontaneous, but he liked that “Arthur” starts with “art,” reflecting his fascination with artistic expression. As for “Hur,” he explained that it is a biblical name meaning “hole,” though not chosen for religious reasons, while “Gunn” symbolizes battle.

Gunn began seriously refining his vocal skills in 2013, working on his voice and learning breathing techniques from mentors to enhance his singing. The Voice of Sikkim recognized him as one of the latest musical talents from Nepal, alongside Prashant Tamang, winner of Indian Idol season three; Prakriti Deuja, the first Nepalese American to sing The Star-Spangled Banner at an NBA game in 2014; as well as singers Nisha Rasaily and Passang Doma Lama.

His debut album, Grahan, released in early 2018, featured eight Nepali-language songs, including the popular love song Nyano Ghar. The album’s title represents the contrast between day and night, the sun and the moon. Heavy described his music as blending the influences of artists like Bob Dylan, Robert Johnson, and Bukka White, praising his “sweet and anguished” vocals. Following the album’s release, he toured Nepal and recorded new songs in 2019, including Ma, Khoj, and Karnali (The River), which were set to be part of a new album.

His popularity grew rapidly, with his YouTube channel gaining nearly 70,000 subscribers by February 2020, and surging to 230,000 by April of the same year.

In June 2020, Gunn was featured in a virtual arts event hosted by the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu. The following month, he released a seven-song album, Self-Titled, produced by Angelo Rodriguez.

As of June 2022, his YouTube channel had grown to 490,000 subscribers. His most-watched video, Nyano Ghar (House of Warmth), released in May 2018, had amassed over six million views by July 2020. His latest song is Love is My Redemption.

American Idol

In 2019, Arthur Gunn submitted an online audition for American Idol and was invited to the in-person auditions on September 4 in Wichita, Kansas, for the show’s 18th season. This was part of the producers’ 22-city “Bus Tour” and marked the first time American Idol had visited Wichita since its inception in 2002. He auditioned with Eddy’s Song by Sticky Fingers (2011), and as of May 2020, the video had garnered over eight million views. Gunn has cited 2019 winner Laine Hardy and runner-up Alejandro Aranda as his favorite American Idol alumni.

In December 2019, Gunn was featured in a sneak peek of the season, with a clip of his audition where judge Luke Bryan remarked, “I think he might be the biggest star we’ve ever had on American Idol.” He was also included in a February 2020 American Idol commercial aired during the Academy Awards, paying homage to a scene from Almost Famous (2000), where host Ryan Seacrest drove a bus full of contestants singing along to Elton John’s Tiny Dancer. Initially hesitant about the competition, Gunn later found the experience eye-opening, saying, “I’ve learned so many things about performing, being an artist, and the music industry.”

Hollywood Week took place from December 2–5, 2019, at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, with 167 contestants. Gunn selected the singer-songwriter genre for the first round and performed Hard to Handle (1968) by Otis Redding. In the duet round, he paired with Amber Fiedler, who was later eliminated. For his solo performance, he reimagined Have You Ever Seen the Rain? (1971) by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Advancing to the Top 40, he performed in the Showcase round at the Aulani resort in Hawaii in front of a live audience, including his family. His sisters expressed their pride, noting that he had no formal training before the show.

The Showcase/Final Judgment round, filmed in January 2020, determined the Top 20. Gunn performed Is This Love? (1978) by Bob Marley and the Wailers, and judge Lionel Richie called selecting him “one of the easiest decisions” they had to make. Gunn became the third contestant from Wichita to reach the American Idol Top 20, following Rickey Smith (8th place, Season 2) and Phil Stacey (6th place, Season 6).

However, after the Top 20 was selected, taping was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The rest of the season was filmed remotely, with contestants performing from their homes using provided sound and lighting equipment. In May 2020, Gunn became the first Nepali-born contestant to reach the American Idol Top 10, performing a reggae rendition of John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Roads for the “Songs of Home” theme. Critics praised his distinctive, husky voice, and he noted, “I don’t use a lot of my head voice or nasal voice, and I am still learning my voice, but I don’t have a particular way to define it.”

For the live finale, the Top 5 was announced in real-time, with contestants performing two songs while East Coast viewers voted. Gunn’s first song was Gavin DeGraw’s I Don’t Want to Be (2003), followed by his intended debut single, a reprise of Have You Ever Seen the Rain? (1971). He advanced to the Top 2 alongside Just Sam, who was ultimately declared the winner.

Gunn’s success on American Idol has been seen as a breakthrough for Nepali musicians, inspiring others from his homeland to pursue global opportunities in music competitions.