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'No longer about talent': 'American idol' viewers say 'sad backstory' won Jon Wayne the golden ticket and not his vocals

Jon Wayne Hatfield story might have been emotional but viewers 'didn't care' for his singing

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: When one of the competitors wows Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan with his song in the second episode of ABC's popular singing show 'American Idol', viewers get to witness some sappy drama. But what really steals the show is the backstory to his audition song and his bond with his gay grandfather Ray.

The 21-year-old Jon Wayne Hatfield from Goshen, Ohio, describes how wonderful life was with his "grandma and grandpa." They began raising him when he was five years old due to a mother who battled addiction, he claims. Jon dedicated his original song to his grandfather to give him courage as he recently came out of the closet. While the viewers get sucked in by the backstory, though with a tiny bit of doubt, they aren't very taken with vocals. Fans of 'American Idol' Season 21 said he is just another contestant with a sad back story and nothing else. 

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Jon Wayne Hatfield's emotional backstory

Jon Wayne Hatfield began his audition by stating that he was "very nervous," and then went on to introduce himself to the judges. He revealed that his grandparents took over the role of his parents when he was just five because his mother struggled with addiction. "My grandma was my mom," Hatfield says during the audition.

Hatfield explains that the family lost his grandma roughly three years ago, which saddened his grandfather to the extent that he wouldn't speak to anyone for more than a year, including his grandson. Then his grandfather Ray explains that when he was a teenager, he shared a secret with his would-be wife — he is gay. "She said, I love you, and that's okay," Ray says. He also revealed, "Jon was the last person I told because I was scared he would stop loving me." Hatfield claims that because of this experience, he wrote the song 'Tell Me, Ray' to give his grandfather the courage to stand tall and convey to him that he will not love him any less because of this. 

"It's a big relief to be able to stand here and be proud and say I'm gay, and there's nothing wrong with it," Ray later says. Hatfield showed his talent to the judges and received a standing ovation from them for his performance. Luke Bryan even said, "You really showcased the right foundation of what we are looking for," and Katy as well as Lionel agree with him.

Fans 'didn't care' for Jon Wayne's singing

While Hatfield's performance received a standing ovation from the judges and a trip to Hollywood, viewers of the show weren't very taken with his voice. Many have taken to Twitter to express their dissatisfaction as one user tweeted, "See. Proof that it is no longer about the talent anymore." Another one added, "Story aside, not the strongest of vocals from Jon Wayne. The songwriting on the original tune wasn’t too bad though. All in all, not impressed so far #AmericanIdol." One more fan commented, "Good story, but didn’t care for the singing. #AmericanIdol." 

Some viewers even thought that 'American Idol' is getting more about emotional manipulation rather than actual talent. One fan tweeted, "Sorry, not going to give in to the emotional manipulation. It was okay -- that's it. #AmericanIdol." Another one said, "This show is no longer about talent. So disappointing  #AmericanIdol." One more added, "Too much straining for me with jon ..pass #AmericanIdol." 

'American Idol' Season 21 airs  at 8 pm ET every Sunday. It will be available on Hulu on Mondays.

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