Grab the tissues because Ash Ruder’s American Idol audition will have you in tears!
The North Carolina native took to the Idol audition room with an original song that she penned for her father, who got sober two years ago after a long battle with addiction. Armed with an acoustic guitar and her dad by her side, Ruder performed the emotional “Bryan’s Song” as her father, Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie looked on.
Ruder’s dad, who was hearing the song for the first time ever, was overcome with emotions over her gut-wrenching performance. As she sang, the judges also got teary-eyed.
“Dad congrats…Through all this, you’ve raised a very talented young lady,” Bryan said. “I’m interested to hear other dynamics of your voice but your vibrato is really done really really nice.”
“You can sing,” Richie added. “You’ve found the only subject that does not go out of style: love. And your dad was hanging on to every fiber he could to stand up straight and not fall over. I saw you struggling but to be able to make mistakes, your daughter witnessed your mistakes and she writes a song that says I forgive you for your mistakes. I think it was a great performance and you did well.”
“It was so beautiful to witness this almost healing that went on and if you can continue to bring that same connectedness of feelings, it’s a yes from me,” Perry said.
“It’s a yes, yes,” Bryan said.
“You’re going to Hollywood,” the Idol judges said collectively.
Click above to re-live Ash Ruder’s emotional American Idol audition.
