A young preacher from Mobile, Alabama, advanced to the next round of American Idol after delivering a heartfelt performance dedicated to his late nephew.
During his American Idol audition, Pastor Tyler Allen shared that his 1-year-old nephew, Noah, and his mother were killed in a tragic accident last April.
"I'm dedicating this to my nephew who passed away this past April," Allen told the judges. "Him and his mother were in an accident. They were hit by an 18-wheeler, and they died instantaneously."
Allen said the toddler had just begun to walk and talk before he was killed.
"I never thought that I would have to go through something like this with my family," he shared. "We have each other, but that part is still missing. So how do we cope with that?"
"He was my heart," Allen added.
According to CBN News, the minister also shared that singing and knowing that he will someday see Noah again in Heaven have given him comfort and hope.
"Singing brings me comfort, some type of comfort and peace," he explained. "Though he is not here, I know that he is in a far better place, and I know that I will see him again."
Allen then sang a rendition of Whitney Houston's "I Believe in You," a song he used to sing to Noah as he rocked him to sleep. The judges – singers Luke Perry, Katy Perry and Lionel Riche – were blown away by his performance.
"It's moving," a tearful Perry said. "It's just God-given. It's beautiful."
"You are a star," Richey added.
All three judges then announce that Allen will advance to the next round of American Idol, which will take place on March 6.
According to Allen's website, he has sung all around the world, from Cuba to New York. He is also an ordained elder at his church and started preaching as an evangelist at just nine years old.
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Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Nagaiets
Video courtesy: ©American Idol/ABC
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
