‘American Idol’ finalist gets emotional as he honors late stepmom in the sweetest way possible
Mother's Day mania takes over 'American Idol,' and Jamal Roberts makes sure to make it a memorable one! As American Idol is a week away from its grand finale, Roberts successfully secured his place in the Top 3. While Roberts' journey to the top was anything but smooth, the singer never knelt down and moved ahead with sheer determination, belting out stellar performances. In one such performance, Roberts gets emotional as he honors his late stepmother, making for a heartfelt 'American Idol' moment.
During a heartfelt Sunday, May 11, episode of 'American Idol' that included several Mother's Day tributes, Roberts honored his late stepmother by performing her favorite song, 'A Change Is Gonna Come' by Sam Cooke. He shared, "She loved when I'd sing this song... She was the one that always supported my music. She always told me I would do great things — she's the reason why I'm here," as per MassLive.
Roberts revealed that his stepmother, Tabitha, passed away unexpectedly five years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic. "I think about her a lot," he said, adding, "I'll be thinking about her when I’m singing this song. This is just me keeping her name and her memories alive." His soulful performance earned praise from the judges. Luke Bryan commented, "It's been a minute since we heard you do good ol' classic R&B," admiring Roberts' timing and delivery. Lionel Richie jokingly said, "I want to see your birth certificate, son," acknowledging Roberts' mature and deeply emotional performance.
To add more, before his performance on the May 12 episode of 'American Idol,' Roberts was seen enjoying a family day at Disneyland with his daughters, mom, and sister. He cherished seeing his daughters dressed as princesses and shared, "I love seeing the smiles on my kids' faces." He also reflected on how his singing could change his life, saying he didn't want to stop what he started on 'American Idol,' as per Entertainment Now. Back in the studio, Roberts performed 'Ain’t No Mountain High Enough' from 'Remember the Titans,' entertaining the audience by getting them to clap along. Robert's performance caused Bryan and Richie to jump to their feet.
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Bryan, visibly emotional, remarked, "Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out!" and expressed how far Roberts had come since his original audition. Richie was deeply impressed, saying, "I don’t know if I can emotionally take another performance," and praised Roberts for making the song "soulful." Carrie Underwood, though impressed by Roberts' voice, suggested he missed an opportunity to move more around the stage during the upbeat performance. Roberts' second performance began on a shaky note when he chose to sing 'Beauty and the Beast' but struggled to connect with the lyrics. He admitted to guest mentor Lin-Manuel Miranda that he was having difficulty with lines like "tale as old as time."
Miranda pointed out the disconnection, and Roberts acknowledged that it would be "one of the biggest challenges of the season." Miranda encouraged Roberts to find personal meaning in the lyrics, which seemed to make a difference. Roberts delivered an impressive performance that left the audience and judges in awe. The crowd cheered so loudly that Underwood couldn't speak, while Bryan enthusiastically shouted, "Let’s win this baby, let’s win this!" Richie also lauded Roberts for turning the song into an R&B rendition, saying, "No one but you could do that."