Former EMI gospel recording artist Darwin Hobbs has been chosen to compete on the TV series The Next Big Thing, which will debut on ABC May 30 from 8-10 p.m., EST.

The program features a nationwide search for the country's best celebrity impersonator, according to ABC officials. Viewers will have an opportunity to vote for the winner.

Hobbs, who recorded a gospel remake of Luther Vandross' “So Amazing,” will impersonate the R&B and soul singer who died in 2005. Hobbs said “for years and years I've always been compared to Vandross. Finally, I'm able to act on the comparison by actually competing as (Vandross) himself.”