A 25-year-old young man stepped onto the American Idol stage, his hands trembling, his breath unsteady. The weight of his song choice pressed down on him like a storm cloud—Lionel Richie’s 1977 classic. And there, watching his every move, was the legend himself. Every note was a risk, every lyric a chance to stumble. But as he sang, something shifted. The nerves melted away, replaced by raw emotion. By the final note, the audience held their breath—then Lionel stood, applause ringing through the room. “When you’re standing in front of the artist and you’re going to sing our song, the only thing we pray for is, ‘Please God, make it your song,’” Richie said, his voice thick with emotion. “You made my song your song. It was beautifully done.”
Sonny Tennet can now count Lionel Richie as a fan. During a sneak peek at season 23 of American Idol, the South Shields, U.K.-based singer-songwriter took a big chance by performing one of Richie’s songs for his audition.
Tennet, 25, told Richie, along with judges Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan, that he’d be performing “Easy” for his audition. Richie wrote the 1977 track, which he performed with his band, Commodores.
The judges were quickly enraptured by Tennet’s performance, watching in awe as he sang and played guitar. Tennet brought a different vibe to the iconic track, a risky thing to do when performing in front of the person who penned it.
The risk paid off, though. As soon as Tennet finished performing, Richie leapt to his feet and gave him a standing ovation.
That clearly meant a lot to Tennet, who covered his mouth, got teary eyed, and marveled, “This is crazy.”
“I’m going to tell you something. When you’re standing in front of the artist and you’re going to sing our song, the only thing we pray for is, ‘Please God, make it your song,’” Richie said. “You made my song your song. It was beautifully done.”
“Lionel, that means the world, honestly,” Tennet replied. “I’m shaking a bit.”
American Idol Judges Praise Sonny Tennet’s Performance
Meanwhile, Underwood said she felt her “heart aflutter” during Tennet’s performance.
“You looked joyous when you were playing and singing and we felt that,” she said. “Perfect song choice.”
Bryan was likewise impressed, quipping, “My heart fluttered too!”
“Really great stylistically. [You made it] your own, standing in front of the guy that wrote it,” Bryan said. “It’s a timeless song and you sang it in a timeless way. Great job.”
The judges proceeded to ask Tennet who he brought with him to the audition. Once he revealed that his girlfriend Luisa was there with him, they encouraged Tennet to bring her into the room. Once he did just that, the judges unanimously voted to award Tennet a golden ticket, sending him to Hollywood.
