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‘American Idol’: Who is Sam Finelli? Autistic singer, 28, gets a standing ovation

Social media users got goosebumps after the 28-year-old crooner performed his rendition of Kacey Musgraves’ hit single ‘Rainbow’  

An aspiring singer named Sam Finelli wrapped up the third episode of ‘American Idol’ Season 20 and it proved to be an emotional ride for Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie. Social media users too got goosebumps after the 28-year-old crooner performed his rendition of Kacey Musgraves’ hit single ‘Rainbow.’  
 
Sam Finelli, who suffers from autism, sang his heart out as he managed to serenade the judges. Accompanied by his mother in the audition, Sam revealed earlier, how he was always a different kid and how his life has been difficult. Even though Sam’s performance might not have been close to perfection but he still got the rare standing ovation from all the judges. Katy said that he picked the perfect song. Whereas, Lionel, who got a bit emotional, said that his handicap was his gift. In the end, the trio agreed he deserved to go to Hollywood as they handed him the coveted golden ticket.
 
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Who is Sam Finelli?

Sam attended Beacon College in Leesburg which is the United States’ first accredited baccalaureate institution dedicated to educating primarily neurodiverse students with learning disabilities, ADHD, and other learning differences. Before hitting the stage, Sam revealed that it was very lonely for him while growing up. He revealed that he always sang in his shower, basement, and in his room. Sam works at a bakery in order to put himself out there.  
 
Sam stays very active on TikTok and regularly shares cover songs of different artists. His bio on the video-sharing app says that he “loves to sing” and that his other interests include baking, music, and animals. He also says he’s 28 years old, autistic, and “different, not less.” On TikTok, he has earlier covered ‘Love Is Gone’ by Slander, ‘When We Were Young’ by Adele, and ‘A Thousand Miles’ by Vanessa Carlton, among other popular songs.

‘Sam got some soul in him’

Social media users could not contain their tears as one of the users stated, “Get the onions away from me. Sam Finelli was just incredible!” Another shared, “Take NOTE AMERICA! #AmericanIdol Dreams can come true for people with autism and Sam is a prime example of it! CONGRATS SAM! I was in tears when I watched your audition and you were spectacular! I'll be cheering for you to make it to the top!”
 
One added, “Sam is one of my top 3 auditions so far and I think he has an amazing voice! He could totally win because he’s got a storyteller’s voice & it fits into the popular modern country genre.” The next one posted, “I am fully in a puddle of my own tears”. One user stated, “Chills and  tears on #AmericanIdol” as another posted, “Sam got some soul in him.” Another user concluded, “I’m still crying. I’m about to rewatch Sam’s audition over and over again. So talented and inspirational.”

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