It’s not the first time that the young man Thaddeus Johnson has performed on American Idol, but even if you’re a big fan of the show chances are you won’t recognize this talented performer right away.
Before the man started performing, the judges asked him a couple of questions. Thaddeus was going to perform “Don’t You Worry Child ” by Swedish House Mafia and was definitely ready to give the performance of his life.
Right before he wanted to sing, he told the judges that he previously entered in the American Idol competition in 2010, during Season 9. Even though the young man progressed pretty far, he didn’t make the final 24 contestants who proceeded to the live shows.
Coming up short led him into a depression.
He didn’t know who he was supposed to be anymore. Thaddeus was in a dark place in his life and even tried to commit suicide at one point. During his first audition, he was only 17 years old and weighed more than 300 pounds. He started to notice that his singing performances were being limited by his weight.
“I just couldn’t really be the best singer that I could be,” he said. “I got to the point where I was so unhappy that I wanted to take my life.”
One day, Thaddeus decided to fight through and drastically change his life for the better.
Music and his mother were the two factors in his life that kept him going.
“It saved me from a place that I didn’t even think I could get back from,” he said. “I started changing my eating habits. I started singing a lot more. And, as I sang, I started working out.”
Thaddeus now works as a pub server and has got his life back on track.
“I am feeling more ready than anything,” the young man said after telling his emotional story.
He then proceeded to give a phenomenal performance.
“Don’t you worry child” isn’t exactly an easy title to sing, but Thaddeus absolutely nailed it with a clear voice and warm timbre. Above all, you can notice that Thaddeus sang with his heart.
“Whatever you had to do to pull yourself back to where you are right now, my friend, you are here for a reason. You have got an incredible machine. You understand that?” Judge Lionel Richie assured him.
Lionel also gave the man a warm hug in what can only be described as a heartwarming moment.
“You have been through a lot,” Katy Perry added. “I want to figure out who you are as an artist and I want to see you push yourself even farther.”
The judges didn’t even have to vote and they directly sent Thaddeus to the next stage of the show in Hollywood.
The 25-year-old from Oklahoma then managed to impress the judges once again with a bold song choice.
Thaddeus decided to sing “Rise” by none other than judge Katy Perry and it’s safe to say that he blew the roof off the place.
“I know a lot of people are like, ‘Why would you do that?’ but when you sing a song in front of an artist you got to make them think he’s literally embodying why I wrote this song,” Thaddeus told.
“I want Katy to feel that way today. I want her to be like, ‘I did that song so Thaddeus could sing it today. That is my goal and I really feel like it’s achievable.”
Katy herself was full of praise:
“That is how you do my song. You do my song better than I do my own song. That was amazing.”
What a great performer!
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