Watch soulful NC singer wow ‘American Idol’ judges with emotional tribute to godmother
A “soul-stirrer” belted out a gospel tune, helping him to advance on “American Idol.”
The North Carolina singer’s performance was a tribute to his godmother, who died a few months before his audition, the show said on its YouTube page.
“She played a very big part in my life — not a day that I could not call her and she wouldn’t be right there for me,” Dontrell Briggs said in a video that aired before his emotional performance of “For Your Glory” by Tasha Cobbs Leonard.
Briggs, 26, said his godmother had a lung disease but “always kept going.” The two talked about his dream of making it to “American Idol” — and even broke out in song together during car rides.
“If I get that golden ticket, she is going to be rejoicing with the angels,” Briggs said during the show.
But earning the ticket to advance in the competition wasn’t so easy.
While celebrity judges Luke Bryan and Katy Perry had trouble looking past the “bravado” they said Briggs brought to his performance, the singer’s sincerity wowed fellow judge Lionel Richie.
“Some people can come in and just sing, and then some people come in and just let God come through them,” Richie said.
Briggs eventually got to the next round of the competition after performing a few bars of another song: “Tennessee Whiskey” by Chris Stapleton.
“I just got chills all over on that one,” said Bryan, who voted “yes” to send him to Hollywood.
Briggs grew up singing in church and is from Maxton, North Carolina, roughly 40 miles southwest of Fayetteville.
“I just count this as an honor and privilege to be able to come from a small town,” Briggs said, according to WPDE. “To show people that you can do whatever you want. No matter how small your town is.”
This story was originally published March 15, 2022 at 10:51 AM with the headline "Watch soulful NC singer wow ‘American Idol’ judges with emotional tribute to godmother."
