26-year-old Michael Rice moved the judges to tears with his American Idol audition when he channeled his own deep feelings through his performance. Traveling all the way from Hartlepool, UK, to audition, Michael shared his tough background with the judges. He opened up about his single mother, who had worked hard to financially support them after his estrangement from his father. He then shared that he’d been able to reconnect with his father, who had shockingly passed away a short time after.

In a moving moment, Michael told the judges he wanted to sing “Because Of You” by Kelly Clarkson as a tribute to his father and that he hoped to make him proud. After his powerful and moving performance, he received a standing ovation from all the judges. They were so moved by the performance that they gathered together to give him a group hug. After his soulful performance, Michael received three yeses. He responded by sharing his hope to inspire kids who have been through the same struggle.

During Michael’s audition, Katy shared that they have had many people audition who tell them about the tragic circumstances of their past. However, “rarely do they follow it up by telling their story through a song someone else wrote as if they wrote it themselves.” It was clear from the judges’ reaction to Michael’s audition that they were not only impressed with his musical talent, but also his emotional connection with the piece and his ability to express true feelings through his medium of music.

Despite Michael’s struggles along the way, he hasn’t allowed his tough past to hold him back from pursuing his dreams. Over the last decade, he has expanded his career, participating in various singing competitions. In 2014, he auditioned for The X Factor in the UK, making it to the Bootcamp stage. Then, in 2018, he went on to win the BBC singing competition All Together Now. Finally, in 2019, Michael represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Now, Michael has the opportunity for his music to reach a whole new audience. Viewers are commenting on the YouTube video of his audition, saying that he gave “the most emotional, heartwarming audition” they’d ever seen and that he “gave his whole heart to this song”. It is clear that it is not only the judges who were moved by Michael’s ability to channel emotion through music. With a powerful voice and a talent for performance, there is no telling how far Michael may go with the path to Hollywood laid out in front of him.