American Idol is known for giving everyone a chance in an audition, which is exactly what happened during Abby Blake’s audition with her friend Sam Kelly-Cohen. Abby sang P!nk’s “What About Us” with Sam accompanying her on piano but according to Katy Perry, she sold herself a little short. It was a no from Perry but two yeses from Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, which was enough to send her to Hollywood.
Then, Perry turned the attention on Sam, asking him about his background. Turns out, he’s the lead singer of his band Kayko, and Perry wanted to hear him sing. He performed an original song on piano and received three yeses and a golden ticket.
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The surprise audition turned out well for both Abby and Sam, but it seems like now the two friends will be competing against each other. American Idol fans will have to watch this one closely.
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In more surprise twists, Luke Bryan asked early auditioner Dawson Slade to perform an impromptu song after his initial performance of Lee Ann Womack’s “I Hope You Dance” was a bit lackluster. Bryan saw potential in the 17-year-old’s voice, though, and asked him to sing without his guitar. The judges pushed him to use the power in his vocals and project to the back of the room, and he delivered.
Dawson received a golden ticket when the judges recognized his promise. Part of American Idol is nurturing promising talent, which is exactly what the judges saw in Dawson. Katy Perry instructed him to always “sing like you’re fighting for your baby boy,” who was in attendance at the audition. The judges got to meet the new baby when Dawson’s mother brought him in.
This resulted in a side-by-side comparison of Dawson’s mom and Katy Perry, as the resemblance was uncanny. Perry commented that Dawson’s mom was the Katy Perry blueprint, expressing “I hope I look like that when I’m a grandma.”
Featured Image via YouTube screenshot/American Idol
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