When it comes to reality TV competition shows like American Idol, The Voice, and America’s Got Talent, there is no shortage of touching stories that are made to pull on the heartstrings of people across the country.
But perhaps the latest emotional backstory takes things to a whole new level.
35-year-old rising country singer, Mitch Rossell from East Tennessee auditioned for Season 18 of America’s Got Talent, and an early preview of his performance made its way across the internet before its premiere date on Tuesday (June 6) on NBC.
Ahead of his performance, Rossell moved viewers to tears with a heartbreaking story about his late father, who unexpectedly lost his life to a drunk driving incident. It was his father, who inspired him to play the guitar. Rossell shared that while his dad tried to hone his musical skills early on, it wasn’t until his passing that music became the one thing that brought them together spiritually.
“The way I got into music is my dad. When I was a kid, I would ride with him in the car, and we’d just listen to country music together,” Rossell recalled. “We would sing the songs together, and we both just loved it so much. We had a connection through music…We were so poor, but he loved me so much. He bought me a little guitar when I was a kid. He always wanted me to play growing up. I was just too rambunctious. I just didn’t take the time to learn.”
After a brief pause, Rossell added, “When I was 10-years-old, I lost my dad in a drunk driving incident. It was kind of a freak accident. We lived in a small town, and my grandfather just happened to be driving his truck coming one way on a highway, and my dad and my grandmother-in-law were in his work van, coming back from a job, and they were about to cross each other. But, a drunk driver hit my grandfather from behind and sent him into my dad’s lane. My grandfather, grandmother-in-law, and my dad all lost their lives.”
Rossell says the next years of his life proved challenging as he tried to navigate the aftermath of the death of those closest to him. But, after picking up the guitar, he wrote what he called “the most personal thing I’ve ever written,” an original song called “Son.”
Onstage, Rossell played that song. The country-tinged ballad walks listeners through his heartbreaking true story of losing his father but also acts as a dedication to both his father and his son with its loving message that reflects the father/son bond in the chorus.
“Son I hope you know how much I love you / And when you’re not with me / I’m always thinking of you / You’re the drive inside my heart / The reason I reach for the stars above / He said my world revolves around you / That’s why I call you son,” Rossell sings in the chorus of the song.
After debuting the emotionally charged “Son,” Rossell earned a well-deserved standing ovation from the audience and the judging panel, which consists of Heidi Klum, Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara, and Howie Mandell.
“You wrote a beautiful song there,” Klum said, breaking through the audience’s cheers. “I feel like everyone in this room was feeling everything you were singing.”
Cowell added, “I loved every part of that. I loved your voice. I love the song. It was a compliment to the fact that you could hear a pin drop during the entire performance, and it was sincere. This was a great audition.”
“The words, and the emotion that you sing with, you know as a father also, you know, I have three kids, and the world revolves around you. What a great sentiment,” Mandell related. “What great, beautiful words, such simple brilliance. I predict that tomorrow when people are watching this on TV tonight, I bet you it’s the number one downloaded country song.”
Without hesitation, all four judges gave Rossell a resounding “yes,” moving him through to the next round of the competition.
And it turns out Mandell predicted right as Rossell’s song hit No. 1 on the iTunes Top Songs chart.
Rossell, who says his ultimate dream is to reach his star potential, isn’t new to country music. In fact, he has already had a hit song on country radio with Garth Brooks’ “Ask Me How I Know.” Rossell has also toured alongside Brooks and penned three additional songs for the country icon, including “That’s What Cowboys Do,” “All Day Long,” and “Dive Bar.” Additionally, he has released original songs like “All I Need To See” and “Ran Into You” with Trisha Yearwood.
Viewers can keep up with Rossell’s journey on America’s Got Talent every Tuesday night on NBC.
