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Who is DJ Johnson? Texas teen has Lionel Richie crying as she wins golden ticket, fans call her voice a 'balm'

DJ Johnson left the judges teary-eyed with her powerful singing skills as she also shared her emotional story with the trio

After much wait, ‘American Idol’ Season 19 finally premiered on Sunday, February 14 on the ABC network. We saw Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and country legend Luke  Bryan taking over their judging responsibilities. Ryan Seacrest also returned with his hosting duties on the fourth season for the respective network.

The very first episode kicked-off with the auditions where we saw versatile singers showing-off their skills on the mike. While some had to head back home disappointed without the golden ticket, a few got lucky and one of them was contestant named DJ Johnson. The teenager left the judges teary-eyed with her powerful singing skills as she also shared her emotional story with the trio.

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Who is DJ Johnson?

DJ Johnson hails from Longview, Texas and sings worship songs. Her mother left her family a year ago, which left her in a bad shape. She shared the same story in front of the judges which left them teary-eyed. Speaking to Katy, Luke and Lionel, Johnson, who is the sixth child of the family out of ten, revealed that her mother wasn’t there for her while she was growing up.

The 18-year-old contestant sang an original song called ‘Scars’ for her audition as she sat on the piano with a heavy heart. Two lines into the song and she broke down as Lionel Richie rushed to extend his support. While giving his handkerchief, he called the teenager’s father inside the studio to make her comfortable. She went for another try as the emotional judges were left thoroughly impressed with her skills and authentic performance. She ultimately ended up winning the golden ticket to Hollywood.  According to the website, The Reality TV, Johnson has posting covers on her YouTube channel for two years. She has covered songs like ‘Dream a Little Dream of Me’ and ‘Like I’m Gonna Lose You”’ among others. 

‘You can hear the pain in her voice’

A lot of social media users echoed DJ Johnson’s sentiments as they lent their support to the young contestant on Twitter. Speaking on the same, one user posted, “DJ Johnson is making me emotional  #AmericanIdol” Another stated, “CONGRATULATIONS to DJ Johnson of Longview, TX. (Where I live) for getting a golden ticket on American Idol. Heartbreaking story she had #AmericanIdol” One user added, “DJ johnson, She is amazing and incredible because of her original song tonight.”

The next one asserted, “WOW, DJ Johnson’s audition. Her dad and Lionel Richie started crying. We are all crying, phenomenal babe #americanidol” One shared, “DJ Johnson's music comes from a place of pain, but her voice is a balm that will cure that hurt. #AmericanIdol” Another individual added, “I feel so bad for DJ Johnson. You can hear the pain in her voice. #AmericanIdol”