American Idol Season 20 is continuing with its open auditions and boy, this is one of my favorites. Contestant Emily Faith performed "Good Hearted Woman" by Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. The song is a country staple, released in December 1971, later becoming the first of three No. 1 hits on the country charts for the two artists.
During the 18-year-old's epic performance, Faith told judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie that she is a singer-songwriter, but her full-time job involved working at her family's funeral home with her father. Shocked by her line of work, and by her amazing vocals, the judges absolutely loved her audition and voted yes for her to join the show.
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"You have a really, really authentic country voice. It's very natural," Bryan stated. While Richie noted, "You've got an FM voice, my dear," referring to a voice made for radio. Perry went on to tell Faith that her voice was very sweet, saying, "We want to pull you out of that because when you gave me that little growl in there, I was like, 'Oh there she is!'"
It's safe to say everyone at home knew what was about to happen, as the Kingifer, Oklahoma native received the new Platinum Ticket, meaning she was going straight to Hollywood. A well-deserved honor, if you ask me.
American Idol will return with new episodes on Sunday, March 20 on ABC. The winner of the reality show, which is determined by votes from the audience, will receive a record deal with Big Machine Records and a cash prize.
