Cate Gartner took the American Idol judges through her personal journey when she auditioned for the show with an original song about being pregnant as a teenager. Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan were all overcome with emotion as she sang, giving her a standing ovation and a golden ticket.
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The now 18-year-old shared that she wrote the song, titled “The Place That I Call Home,” for her 2-year-old son Cooper. It included likes like, When everything seems wrong, I may not make it right / But you will have my hand and I will always hold you tight and They say I’m too young and I don’t know what I’m supposed to do / But I know one thing’s for sure that I love you more than anything I had before, before.
She received applause and praise from all three judges. Richie complemented Gartner’s ability to tell a story through her songwriting and vocals. Perry praised her ability to naturally captivate listeners, while Bryan commented on her similarities to Alison Krauss.
“The sky’s the limit, really, in my opinion,” he told her. “And I hear this Alison Krauss innocence. You didn’t try and come up with these big fancy words to describe what your feelings were in the moment that you wrote the song, and that’s how you connect with the masses.”
Gartner was awarded three yeses and a golden ticket to Hollywood, where she will continue to compete against the other contestants.
[RELATED: ‘American Idol’ Fans Raise Questions as Reality Star’s Daughter Heads to Hollywood]
American Idol Makes a Misstep With Fans as the Show Allowed Alyssa Raghu to Return
American Idol fans are in an uproar after the show allowed previous finalist Alyssa Raghu to audition again “just for giggles,” she said as she entered the audition room. Her friend Julia Davo had just auditioned, and Raghu was there for moral support. Now, she’s claiming that the crew baited her into auditioning again.
She took to Instagram to set the record straight, claiming that the producer of the show urged her to enter the room and greet the judges again. She also claimed that the editing omitted details “to create a false narrative of betrayal” between her and Davo. According to Raghu, the producers allegedly told her Davo would shadow her during Hollywood Week.
“I was baited here into assuming that my audition was not only for myself, but rather to find a way for Julia to continue in this competition,” she said.
Still, fans are not happy that Raghu was allowed to return to American Idol, or that Bryan and Richie were so quick to have her back. “How many people auditioned this year & she’s in for the third time while her friend stands sadly by?” one person wrote on social media.
Another commenter called Raghu out on her Instagram post, writing, “No girl… you literally asked them to be on it again… Take accountability for what you did.”
Featured Image by Disney/Eric McCandless
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