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'American Idol' Season 18 Episode 3: Meet Genavieve Linkowski, the 20-year-old who moved the judges to tears

After a two-year break, Genavieve is back for a second chance at the show

A slew of new contestants who auditioned on March 1 night advanced to Hollywood after receiving Golden Tickets from the judges. One among those lucky hopefuls was Genavieve Linkowski, a 20-year-old who hails from Goodrich, Michigan.

This wasn't the first time Genavieve appeared on the famed reality tv competition series. She previously auditioned during Season 16 of 'American Idol' and made it till the Hollywood week, but sadly didn't advance to the Top 50.

During her time off from 'American Idol', tragedy struck Genavieve as her younger sister died in a car accident. In her taped package, she opens up about how she misses singing with her sister Corrin. "I don't know how to do life without her. I always did life with her," she said.

Now, after a two-year break, Genavieve is back for a second chance. Performing an emotional rendition of 'How Am I Supposed to Live', she brought all three judges to tears. She had a powerful voice that showcased her emotions.

Post her performance Lionel Richie said, "Tragedy can either destroy you or make you stronger. You have actually grown. You are no longer singing, you’re performing to the point where I just couldn’t stop watching you." Adding to that he said, "It took a lot of guts to come back, but I really must tell you, I loved that performance and I look for you to go much further than last time."

Genavieve's audition didn't just bring the judges to tears. Taking to Twitter, fans affirmed that her audition left them emotional too. "First one that's ever brought tears to my eyes." 

"I literally she's tears. I admit it. Keep battling. You got this. Best of luck!!! #AmericanIdol," a fan wrote. Adding to that another said, "This story was so heartbreaking. I’m happy she got through. I can see her being in the finals." 

"sooo heartfelt. i was in tears the whole time. gonna be rooting for her," a fan shared. While another wrote, "That was truly an unbelievable performance. @genlinkowski
has definitely touched me with that audition tonight. #AmericanIdol." 

Recently on the death anniversary of her sister, Genavieve released a new track titled 'Beautiful Tragedy'. Genavieve first appeared on Season 16 of 'American Idol'. She is the oldest among 10 children. When she appeared first, she opened up about how she had to put her dreams on hold for some time because her mother suffered from heart failure. 

After she was eliminated during Season 16, she started performing and posting videos on YouTube along with her sister Corrin. The name of their channel was Haven Avenue.

Back again for a second chance, could this be Genavieve's season like last season winner Laine Hardy? We will have to wait and see what this season holds for her. 

'American Idol' Season 18 airs every Sunday night only on ABC. Check your local listings for more information.