Christian Guardino scored a spot in the Top 20 on American Idol and his performance on Sunday evening (April 17) further cemented his place in the competition.
Guardino, a 22-year-old from New York and former American’s Got Talent contestant, put a soulful spin on John Lennon’s classic hit “Imagine.”
Ahead of his performance, the young singer admitted that he appreciates Idol much more after overcoming difficulties caused by his retinal disorder. “I can’t take anything for granted, and that’s why I’m standing here today,” Guardino said. “It just makes me feel like the luckiest person in the world.”
Guardino’s performance allowed his truly impressive vocals to be put on full display with a powerful performance that brought Katy Perry to tears.
Following his performance, he earned praise from the Idol judges.
“Katy, how many stages of cry are there? Because Katy just went through all the continents of crying,” Luke Bryan said. “You just slayed that performance, I didn’t hear anything but perfection.”
“You are the poster child for the power of the human spirit,” Lionel Richie added. “There’s so many people in the world who would say, ‘This is what’s wrong with my life,’ and then you walk out and say, ‘Let me tell you what’s next,’ ” Richie continued. “You’ve taken all of your blessings and joined us on this stage. We love what you’re doing!”
Perry then gushed over Guardino’s powerful vocals and inspiring story.
“Hearing what you have overcome and the mountains you’ve climbed and the attitude of gratitude that you have, and then you sing ‘Imagine,’ which is a world-changing song,” Perry said. “You were put on this planet to do something super powerful, and you are doing it right now and in this room. God bless you Christian!”
How to vote for @christiangsoul
➔ Text 21 to 21523
➔ Use the #AmericanIdol App
➔ Go to https://t.co/zflQXnK76e𝗩𝗢𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 opens 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 the show! pic.twitter.com/jR0KQxiQvw
— American Idol (@AmericanIdol) April 18, 2022
To vote for Christian Guardino, visit AmericanIdol.com/Vote, Text 21 to 21523 or use the American Idol app. Voting opens at the end of the show and is open till 9 a.m. EST.
American Idol airs Sundays and Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.
