Watch ‘unbelievable’ performance that earned Georgia man a spot on ‘American Idol’
An “unbelievable” audition earned a Georgia caretaker a golden ticket to Hollywood, putting him one step closer to becoming the next “American Idol.”
Willie Spence, 21, stunned judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie with his rendition of “Diamonds” by Rihanna at the audition, which aired Sunday night.
“I do this for my family,” Spence told the judges before belting out the first few notes. “They’ve always supported me. They’ve been there from the very beginning.”
The R&B/soul singer grew up in the small south Georgia town of Douglas, about 60 miles northeast of Valdosta, according to WRDW. He currently lives in Dunwoody, near Atlanta, WSB-TV reported.
Spence’s performance earned a standing ovation from Richie, who said Spence’s voice gave him chills “on the first note.”
“You’ve demonstrated exactly what we’ve been looking for,” Richie said. “You just brought the artist to the table and honestly, you’re an undeniable star. That was just an enjoyable session to watch.”
Bryan also gushed over Spence’s performance, saying he “didn’t want it to end.”
Perry asked the Georgia man where he saw himself in five years, to which Spence said he had dreams to “share my gift, hopefully winning a Grammy one day.”
“It’s going to take hard work, but I feel like I can do it,” he added.
Spence left the audition room beaming, but not before Perry left him with these parting words of advice: “Try not to sing circles around everyone out there.”
This story was originally published February 22, 2021 at 8:25 AM with the headline "Watch ‘unbelievable’ performance that earned Georgia man a spot on ‘American Idol’."