Michael Rice, from Hartlepool, England, came to the American Idol audition room ready to follow his dream. He shared his heartfelt story with the judges, revealing that his father, who was absent for most of his childhood, had passed away suddenly of a heart attack related to his drug addiction. His mother gave birth when she was 17, and Michael said they “basically grew up together,” with his mother being his biggest champion.
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He then sang Kelly Clarkson’s “Because of You,” stating that it made him think of his dad. He began softly with piano accompaniment, executing gentle runs and embellishment. He kicked it up a notch in the chorus, showcasing slightly gritty vocals with a lot of texture and body.
“I do miss my dad very much actually,” Michael said. “I do wish he could see me now and how far I’ve come.” He shared that when he was a teenager, he and his father reconnected. His father said he was “proud of my singing,” and Michael revealed that moment has stayed with him.
His audition had the judges sharing looks and smiles. Though, the impact of Michael singing this song, knowing his family background, seemingly took a toll on the judges as well. They were feeling the emotions in Michael’s voice, based on their facial expressions during his performance. Lionel Richie took a deep breath and closed his eyes when Michael went into the bridge, singing, “I was so young / you should have known better / than to lean on me.”
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American Idol Judges Feel Emotional Listening to Michael Rice Sing for His Late Father
The judges gave Michael a standing ovation and were clearly feeling emotional. They came out from behind the desk to compliment him, with Richie saying “You gave it all to us.” They each gave him a hug.
“That was the most emotional, most giving … when you hit ‘because of you,’ I couldn’t hold anything back,” Richie continued, calling Michael’s performance “powerful” multiple times.
“This is crazy,” Michael muttered as the judges took their seats, and Richie said, “It is crazy but it’s your dream, and by the way you did well in your dream.”
“You acted like someone who flew from a long way away to come here and prove what you have,” said Luke Bryan. “You sang your absolute … you sang your ass off.”
“We have a lot of people come in here and tell us a lot of things that are really horrible and tragic,” said Katy Perry. “But rarely do they then follow it up with telling their story through a song that someone else wrote, like they wrote it themselves.”
Perry voted yes, as did Richie, who got so excited he almost forgot to give Bryan a vote. He also voted yes, of course, and Michael received a golden ticket to Hollywood to continue his dream with American Idol.
Featured Image via YouTube/American Idol
