This brand-new American Idol audition requires an entire box of tissues. (You’ve been warned.)
Last night, the popular singing competition returned to ABC for another round of auditions, where the judges—Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan—met an inspiring contestant who dedicated her performance to her late husband.
In the clip, we’re introduced to Lauren Engle, a 27-year-old widow. She explains that she was in a “tragic car accident” in 2017, and although she survived, her husband, Garrett, didn’t.
Since they regularly performed together, she’s honoring him by auditioning for the show. “Losing him made me realize I’ve got nothing else to do but keep doing music and to honor him,” she says.
With the help of her brother-in-law playing guitar, Engle performs an original song titled “Compass,” which she wrote about her journey with her late husband.
During the performance, the judges could hardly contain their emotions. “I was really invested in the lyrics of your song. I felt the emotion and I felt the pain,” Perry says. “You’re just a beautiful testimony to have gone through all that, still standing. One foot in front of the other, right? And you’ve made it all the way here.”
Next stop? Top 20.
