Jovin Webb earned a standing ovation from the judges on Sunday’s episode of American Idol as he scored a ticket to Hollywood.
The 28-year-old musician from Gonzales, Louisiana impressed Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan with his raw, soulful voice while auditioning in Sunriver, Oregon.
Katy, 35, said Jovin’s version of the Allman Brother’s Whipping Post, ‘ignited parts of me I’ve never felt before.’
Soulful voice: Jovin Webb earned a standing ovation Sunday as auditions continued on American Idol on ABC
In his video package, Jovin admitted he had gone through a ‘self-destructive’ time after the death of his mother, but the birth of his young son had made him want to do better.
‘I don’t want him to ever be afraid,’ he explained. ‘I don’t want him to ever feel alone. My reason to be here is to show my son, anything you want out of life, you can get it.’
After he sang, the judges gave him a standing ovation, and Luke, 43, went up and shook his hand.
‘You officially brought the barbecue sauce to American Idol,’ Lionel, 70, said. ‘That was moving.’
Pop star: Katy Perry told Jovin that his rendition of the Allman Brother’s Whipping Post, ‘ignited parts of me I’ve never felt before
Video package: In his video package, Jovin admitted he had gone through a ‘self-destructive’ time after the death of his mother, but the birth of his young son had made him want to do better
Standing ovation: Lionel Richie, Katy and Luke Bryan gave Jovin a standing ovation
‘B.B. King told me once it was hard to sing the blues from the backseat of a limousine,’ he added. ‘In this case, you’re coming from the ground floor. That was so real.’
‘I got chills in my cheekbones,’ Katy agreed, as they sent him through. ‘And I’ve had so much Botox, I didn’t even know [I could].’
The two-hour show started out in Savannah, Georgia, the city in which Luke’s favorite movie, Forrest Gump, was shot.
Barbecue sauce: Jovin was praised by Lionel for bringing the ‘barbecue sauce’
In a cute video, Luke imitated the title character, drawling, ‘Mama always said auditions are like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.’
The first contestant was Atlanta singer Cyniah Elise, 17, and her whole family prayed for her before she went on, though she didn’t need the help.
Cyniah recently had a video of her singing ‘Change Me O God’ go viral, reaching four million viewers, which made her consider tackling an even larger stage.
Viral video: The first contestant was Atlanta singer Cyniah Elise, 17, who came in with a viral music video and left with a ticket to Hollywood
The judges loved her version of Calum Scott’s You Are The Reason, with Lionel comparing her ‘control and mastery’ to that of late singer Whitney Houston.
Where Cyniah had been soft, Kay Genyse, 19, was brash, throwing open the doors to the audition room and yelling, ‘Well, hello, everybody!’
The High Point, North Carolina, deli slicer told the judges she was there to ‘win, sing, perform and give you life,’ spinning around and snapping her fingers as she did so.
Brash performer: Kay Genyse, 19, was brash but the judges were not sure about her voice
In her hair, she kept a fortune cookie fortune that said, ‘Your talents will be recognized and rewarded.’
Kay’s version of Duffy’s Mercy was underwhelming, so Katy had her ‘sing for her life,’ repeating it for people outside the studio, who convinced the judges to send her through to Hollywood.
Next up was Kyle Tanguay, 21, a Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader from Rochester, New Hampshire, who came accompanied by the squad, whom he called his ‘ride-or-dies.’
Street song: Katy had Kay sing in the streets for survival and she advanced
The women cheered with him at the auditions, and Katy joked, ‘What happens if he doesn’t go through? Are you gonna beat us up? What’s happening? ”Attack of the Cheerleaders”?’
They stood behind Kyle as he sang Shawn Mendes’ Mercy, and one cheerleader stared at him adoringly. When the three judges gave him a golden ticket, they gave them Eagles jerseys.
‘Hollywood, here he comes!’ they chanted as Kyle walked out. ‘He is truly number one!’
Eagles cheerleaders: Next up was Kyle Tanguay, 21, a Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader from Rochester, New Hampshire, who came accompanied by the squad, whom he called his ‘ride-or-dies’
In Minneapolis, the judges met Claire Jolie Goodman, 16, a Broadway-loving student from Mount Prospect, Illinois who performed showtunes and arias instead of current pop songs.
‘I think I’ve been ready to be on Broadway since I was born,’ said Claire, who did loud vocal warm-ups in the show’s waiting room and brought along a book of songs to audition with.
‘You are comfortable in that style of singing,’ said Lionel. ‘I would never in a million years try to change you out who you are. So clearly, this is not your house.’
Broadway lover: In Minneapolis, the judges met Claire Jolie Goodman, 16, a Broadway-loving student from Mount Prospect, Illinois
‘It’s a no for American Idol, but ”Oh my God” for Broadway,’ he added.
Margie Mays, 26, a Wilmington, Delaware, music teacher who’d made it to Hollywood on the show before, was back again, promising that she’d be ‘more professional’ than previously.
Her boyfriend, Jonny West, 23, was there to play piano for her cover of Adele’s I Found A Boy, though he’d thrown up from nerves before her audition the year before.
She’s back: Margie Mays, 26, a Wilmington, Delaware, music teacher who’d made it to Hollywood on the show before, was back again, promising that she’d be ‘more professional’ than previously
Although the judges weren’t totally feeling it, they sent her through, with Luke saying she’d become ‘a much better singer and that’s hard to do.’
Jonny, a Murietta, California piano teacher, then performed an original song – rapping, singing beautifully and accompanying himself on piano, shocking the judges with how good he was.
‘I get why she’s so obsessed,’ Katy told him. ‘I don’t want this for you and your relationship, but you may go further than Margie.’
Double audition: Jonny, a Murietta, California piano teacher, then performed an original song – rapping, singing beautifully and accompanying himself on piano, shocking the judges with how good he was
‘You have everything American Idol needs to make you an American Idol,’ Lionel affirmed, and Jonny went through.
Sarah Isen, a 20-year-old college student from Berkeley, California, waited her turn backstage with her two moms, biological father and 10 of her 26 half-siblings.
In college, her father donated sperm to help LGBT families, Sarah explained, noting that she and her siblings were best friends who vacationed together.
Large family: Sarah Isen, a 20-year-old college student from Berkeley, California, waited her turn backstage with her two moms, biological father and 10 of her 26 half-siblings
Sarah’s voice was shown off to great effect on Beyoncé’s If I Were A Boy, causing Katy to clap and yell, ‘Thank the sperm donors!’
Her whole family ran at her when she got her golden ticket.
Eliza Catastrophe, 28, from Spokane, Washington, brought her guitar to the audition, along with MP3s of her albums and some sardines, mirroring the title of her original song.
Original song: Eliza Catastrophe, 28, from Spokane, Washington, brought her guitar to the audition, along with MP3s of her albums and some sardines, mirroring the title of her original song
She called herself the ‘universal opener’ for acts in her town, but with a song most memorable for the line ‘Sardines, Sardines, Sardines,’ she didn’t go through.
‘Would you ever want to hang out socially?’ she asked the stunned judges, who stayed silent.
In their next city, Milwaukee, they roller skated around the Milwaukee Art Museum, with Luke wearing a Wisconsin cheese-head hat and Katy singing ‘I Wanna Skate With Somebody.’
Luke then skated right into a camera crane, whacking it with his head.
Julie Gargano, 21, a college student and songwriter from Staten Island, New York, played piano and sang her original song Growing Pains for the judges, inspired by other unorthodox contestants.
Own song: Julie Gargano, 21, a college student and songwriter from Staten Island, New York, played piano and sang her original song Growing Pains for the judges
Katy went right up and hugged Julie afterward, making Julie say, ‘That was the best hug I’ve ever received.’
The Roar singer told Julie that next year people would be citing her name when they tried out.
‘I don’t have any critiques,’ she added. ‘But when I find one, I’m gonna give it to you, because I want you to win this thing. I think you’re Top Five.’
Big hug: Katy gave Julia a big hug
The show’s last act was a husband-and-wife duo called Treble Soul, from Rockdale, Texas.
Curt Jones, 23, and Hannah Prestridge, 24, married three years ago after meeting in Nashville and becoming the parents of two daughters, Presely and Charlee.
Curt, 23, went first with Travis Tritt’s Help Me Hold On, while Hannah sang an original called Day To Day, about her relationship with Curt.
Last act: The show’s last act was a husband-and-wife duo Hannah Prestridge and Curt Jones called Treble Soul, from Rockdale, Texas
In a video, she spoke about the way they met and fell in love, becoming pregnant three months later but being determined to have their child.
‘Everything was fine at first, and then I was in so much pain,’ she said, explaining that she developed severe kidney problems that led her to be injected with hydrocodone.
‘That’s when my addiction became an addiction,’ she sighed, adding that after her daughter was born it began ‘spiraling out of control.’
‘I watched the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen in my life kind of fade away into this ghost I never really knew,’ Curt remembered.
Addiction problem: Hannah overcame an addiction problem
One Christmas, Hannah missed wrapping the presents for her daughters’ Christmas, and barely crawled through the door.
‘It looked like she got beat to death with the addiction stick,’ her husband said. ‘Thank God my kids were asleep because it’s something you can’t un-see.’
‘There was a stipulation that you need to fix your stuff or I’m gone with the girls,’ he continued, happily noting, ‘She picked us. She’s been a year sober today.’
‘I love Curt with my entire soul,’ Hannah said. ‘If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be here today.’
Her performance affected the judges, leaving Katy to say, ‘There’s something special in your voice. There’s a pain you can feel. And people resonate with it.’
Pep talk: Katy gave Hannah a pep talk after her performance
‘Congratulations on being clear,’ she added. ‘If you want to be on this journey, you gotta be clear.’
The judges did not send Curt through, but they agreed that Hannah needed a golden ticket.
‘There’s gotta be a flower and there’s gotta be a gardener,’ Katy told Curt. ‘Right now, you’re the gardener.’
Outside, he hugged Hannah as she cried.
‘You can win this thing,’ he said. ‘You hear me?’
The gardener: Curt didn’t make it to Hollywood, but Hannah did