Homeless contestant brings Jennifer Lopez to tears on 'American Idol' — and earns a golden ticket
ABC's 'American Idol' is one of the few talent shows that consistently serves as a beacon of hope for aspiring singers. Over 23 seasons, the show has proven to be a game-changer, especially for those from underprivileged backgrounds. One such contestant is Anderson Footman, who, despite being homeless, impressed the judges and proved that talent can take you a long way.
Footman stunned the 'American Idol' judges, Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick Jr., and Adam Lambert. The singer performed an original song during his New York audition in Season 14. Choosing his own composition over a well-known hit was a major gamble, but it turned out to be a winning move for the young singer, who had little left to lose. "Me singing my own music is totally different than me singing someone else's song,” Anderson said, while adding, "You get to hear me express myself."
All three judges were stunned by the Florida native’s talent and moved by his original song, "My Best Friend," which he said was about a college friend with whom he "fell madly in love." The emotional performance brought both Footman and Lopez to tears as he received his golden ticket to Hollywood. “I want to record that song tomorrow,” Lopez told him, as per the New York Post.
Originally from the Orlando area, Footman spent a semester at Nyack College, where he met the inspiration for his heartfelt song. In May 2012, he moved to New York City but soon found himself without a place to live. He eventually ended up at Covenant House, a youth shelter, where he met Norm Lotz, the vice president of development. Lotz immediately recognized his gift, saying, “He had a strong tenor voice, but more than that, he had soul and heart.”
As a mentor, Lotz taught Footman to play guitar and even helped raise money to get him one of his own. Now no longer living in the shelter, Footman splits his time between two friends' apartments. Though he was still early in the competition, Footman noted that ‘American Idol’ had already changed his life. Footman also talked about his biggest dreams of meeting Kanye West, singing for the Obamas, and being on Ellen. But most of all, Footman hoped to inspire others. "Anyone can go from homeless to Hollywood, homeless to New York City, or homeless to Fiji. Go where you want in life," he said.
Notably, Footman was called up by the judges just before the 'Hollywood Round' officially began, where he performed Adele’s 'Someone Like You,' per American Idol Wiki. During this, he also joined a group called 'Team No Sleep' with Amber Kelechi and Laurel Taylor Taunton to sing 'Grenade' by Bruno Mars. For his final solo performance, he chose another Adele song, 'Hometown Glory.' At the final judgment, the judges told him he hadn’t done enough to earn a spot in the Top 24 — and he was eliminated.