For the judges of American Idol, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan and Lionel Riche, it was hard to fight back tears.

The reason for this was Freddie McClendon, a 23-year-old contestant, who told his father’s story — who was killed in 2023 — via an emotional song, You Never Loved Him.

Several media outlets covered his father’s death, and it was featured in multiple podcasts and documentaries.

Keeping that in mind, Freddie took to the American Idol stage to tell more about his father.

“He was something so much bigger than just the true crime story of the week,” he shared. “He was our dad and he meant the world to us.”

The judges’ reactions were overwhelming. Luke likened McClendon to a “modern-day Paul Simon.” Carrie broke down in tears, saying, “It’s so brave of you to decide that you want to choose the narrative.”

Last but not least, Lionel urged the young contestant to bring his family onto the stage as all three judges gave him a golden ticket.

“I’m so proud that I was able to tell my Dad’s story, and it meant the world that it resonated with Carrie Underwood,” the Hello singer said. “Dad, we’re going to Hollywood.”