Hoosier Cam Amen received a standing ovation and hugs from the judges after his emotional rendition of 'Hallelujah' during his American Idol audition.
The 27-year-old was one of two singers from central Indiana who moved forward at the American Idol auditions on Sunday.
Amen, who was born in Anderson, shared his story of growing up in and out of foster care before wowing the judges with his singing.
"I just remember being taken out of my classroom by police officers," he said during his audition recording. "We were crying and waiting for mom. She never came."
Amen said as soon as he turned 18 he took in his brother and sister so he could help raise them. His siblings are 20 and 21 now.
All three judges, Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan, gave Amen a standing ovation before awarding him the coveted Platinum ticket.
"I don't have anyone I've seen in this chair to compare you to," Bryan told Amen.
But Amen wasn't the only Indiana native making a name for herself on Sunday, Mikenley Brown, 17, also moved forward, landing her ticket to Hollywood and the next round of auditions.
Brown, from New Castle, also caught the judges attention with her unique style. She was accompanied by her father.
Although Amen gets to skip the first round in Hollywood you can watch Brown as Hollywood week starts off next Sunday & Monday, April 2 & 3 on ABC.
-
IndyCar drivers thrilled by early sellout of Indy 500
This year’s sellout came a week earlier than last year, and several IndyCar drivers expressed their excitement about fans’ eagerness to watch the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
Lacrosse player charged with battery after incident at Carmel High School
A Michigan man is facing a felony battery charge after Carmel police say he punched a high school lacrosse player after a game.
90 workers in Indianapolis face layoffs as CICOA loses government funding
CICOA Aging & In-Home solutions is planning to lay off 90 Indianapolis workers due to a loss of government funding.
IMS Museum breaks ground on new Restoration and Event Center
The IMS museum's new Restoration and Event Center is now under construction, where skilled team members will work to preserve cars from previous Indianapolis 500 races.
