“Idol” Hopeful Leaves Judges In Tears & Earns Platinum Ticket After Singing “Hallelujah”

Cam Amen and his siblings were taken from their mother at a young age. Once Cam turned 18, he put his own life on hold to care for his younger brother and sister.

Cam’s siblings are 21 and 20 today. Now that they’re grown and on their own, Cam can finally focus on his own dreams.

Those dreams led him to the American Idol audition room. He shared his emotional backstory with the judges before revealing his plans to sing Leonard Cohen‘s “Hallelujah.”

Before the tears even had time to dry on his face, Cam dove into his performance. It was subdued in all of the right moments, and perfectly powerful in all of the right moments.

The judges watched in awe. All three could be seen with tears in their eyes as Cam sang.

Once Cam finished, he broke down and started crying again. The judges rushed to hug him, and he shared a tearful embrace with each one.

Lionel Richie offered some encouraging words to Cam, saying, “You’ve been through a lot, but the rest of your life is waiting, you hear me?”

As the judges made their way back to the table, Luke Bryan proclaimed, “Man I can hardly breathe.” Luke said he believes Cam is the best soul singer they’ve ever had on the show.

The judges asked Cam if he brought anyone with him. He brought his girlfriend into the room. She got the chance to hear the judges tell him he’s going to Hollywood…as a recipient of a Platinum ticket!

Cam was in disbelief. The judges only hand out a select number of Platinum tickets during the auditions. These tickets give the contestant the ability to skip the first week in Hollywood, and jump straight to the next stage.

What an honor for Cam! He certainly earned it, as you can see when you watch him sing “Hallelujah” below.