Who is Alyssa Wray? 'American Idol' contestant leaves Lionel Richie crying, judges compare her to Beyonce
Perryville, Kentucky resident Alyssa Wray's 'American Idol' audition aired on Sunday (March 7) night immediately transforming her into a star. She sang Jennifer Hudson's 'I Am Changing' and her rendition of the song brought Lionel Richie to tears while a spellbound Katy Perry and Luke Bryan looked on. Alyssa's purple hair and towering 6'2" stature was giving out star power vibes already but that song just added another layer and Richie, Katy and Luke Bryan were just taking in the whole experience of Wray's performance.
Wray left the audition room with a golden ticket that the judges were more than excited to hand it over to her. When it came time to vote, Lionel was the most excited and insisted on going first. Wray's singing had touched him to a point beyond words and he was left sighing with happiness for a couple of minutes after she finished her song. The judges were sure that a star was born and all of them were just glad that they were present for this historical moment.
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Alyssa Wray's town Perryville has a total of 750 people and growing up she always stood out for her height, outspoken voice, and for her outside the box persona. She always romanticized everything and envisioned herself as the star of a movie. Growing up being different felt like a disadvantage to her but growing up she started looking at it more like a superpower. She knew she was made for greater things and 'American Idol' audition was a stepping stone for her and she aced it.
"I'm so happy, I am so happy," Lionel Richie said after her performance who was of the opinion that a voice like Wray's comes "once in a generation." Katy Perry told Wray that she needs to be open to receive what the world wants to give her which is pretty much everything the young artist dreamt of. "How lucky are we to finally say we knew you'd win and we had something to do with it," Lionel chimed in. With three "yes", her elated mother Tabitha and a golden ticket in hand, Wray walked out of the audition room while the judges spoke about how cool it was to be in the same room as her and they were even heard comparing her to Beyonce. You can catch up with Alyssa Wray on her Instagram handle which is @itsalyssawray
Catch new episodes of 'American Idol' Sundays at 8 pm ET on ABC.