“I used to watch American Idol with my dad and my mom,” says the 20-year-old college student. “I always imagined if I went, he would be there, but last February, I was at school and my brother called me at 7 in the morning and said, ‘You should look for flights home. They just took dad to the hospital and he’s not breathing.’ It was very unexpected.” Grace first sang “Midnight Train to Georgia,” but then Luke Bryan asked her to sing a second song, and she had prepared Aretha Franklin’s “Natural Woman.” Katy Perry instructed her, “The legend that is Carole King wrote it, the legend that is Aretha Franklin sang it, you need to sing it like the legend you want to be. Tall order. Don’t phone it in; make me feel it. Sing ‘Natural Woman’ to me like I never heard it before.” Mission accomplished, and Katy told Grace, “There’s not a whole lot of critiquing I need to do. I got a wave of full body chills twice. That’s music. That’s true magic.” Luke agreed, saying, “That’s got to be right up there with the Kelly Clarkson audition, the Jennifer Hudson audition. I get brought to tears by stories and backgrounds of people and their struggles, but this is the first time in four years that someone just singing made me cry. Just understand that your dad is very, very proud of you right now. What a lot to be proud of.” Lionel Richie added, “You actually have control of that amazing instrument,” and so, it was unanimous that Grace was getting a golden ticket to Hollywood. For her audition, she wore a Leo pendant necklace, which used to belong to her father, as a good luck talisman, but it also helped Grace feel his presence in the room. “His not being here has taught me, live every moment as if it is your last,” she said. “Take every opportunity, every chance, because you don’t know what chance you can get because of it. I have a habit of getting nervous, where I have literally blown auditions because my breath stops working and I hyperventilate. But I keep on thinking how much he believed in me and I try to believe that much in myself. I think he would be heartbroken if I gave up because I got sad, so it’s hard but it’s also extra motivation for me to keep going.” One of the new features of American Idol this season that is part of the COVID protocols is an immersive room with a giant screen where contestants can talk to their families, who are safely at home. Luke joined Grace in the room after her performance and told her family, “We feel like she is up there with some of the biggest voices in the history of Idol, so we are so happy to have her in the family.” American Idol airs Sunday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. Next, From Kelly Clarkson to Carrie Underwood, Watch Every American Idol Winners’ First Audition Video
