‘American Idol’ judges compare mom-of-three to Dolly Parton after heartfelt song about postpartum struggles
A mother of three young boys, not only impressed the judges on 'American Idol' Season 24 but was also compared to Dolly Parton. Dressed in a colorful homemade patchwork dress, the contestant shared her musical upbringing and her journey through motherhood. She then performed her original song 'String Cheese,' inspired by her postpartum struggles, leaving fellow mother Carrie Underwood visibly emotional. Meanwhile, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan also had nothing but praise for Hannah Harper.
Harper grew up performing in her family's bluegrass gospel band, touring in a bright red 40-foot bus after her father left his mining job to pursue music full-time. She returned to Missouri in 2016, settled down with a family, and is now a wife and mother of three young boys. Despite the chaos of family life, she turns to music during challenging moments, according to Country Now. Harper, a native of Willow Springs, Missouri, revealed that she is auditioning for the show to provide her sons with opportunities similar to her own upbringing and to pursue music full-time.
She then revealed that she is performing an original song for the judges titled 'String Cheese.' Underwood, a mother of two boys, immediately connected with her story, "You're like my favorite person. You're wearing homemade clothes. You're singing songs called ‘String Cheese.'' Richie then asked about the song's meaning, and Harper explained that, despite its playful title, the song carries a deep message sure to resonate with moms everywhere. She discussed her postpartum depression after her youngest was born, feeling overwhelmed and withdrawn, until a small moment with her son asking her to open his cheese helped her reconnect and find meaning in motherhood.
She shared, "And I finally opened his cheese and when I did, I realised that God had put me in that place and that where I was in my house was the biggest ministry that I could ever have and being a mom." The judges gave her a moment to compose herself before she performed, and her warm, intimate delivery captivated them. Bryan praised Harper's performance, comparing her to iconic country artists, "Hannah, great job… I kept thinking like Kacey Musgraves is in there. I kept thinking, Alison Krauss… a little Dolly in there. And gosh, even if we got you to lean in more… you're going to be able to move some people. But great song, way to really write the moment you're in."
Richie then compared her with iconic singer Patron offered Harper advice, saying, "I want you to use Dolly as the example of two things: one, her storytelling ability, and two, she has the ability to tell that story and then give us a lift. You've got the range. I would've loved to have found you just on one of those lines; just hold it for a minute…"
Underwood praised Harper as her 'favorite person' to walk into the audition room, adding, "You're gorgeous. Like you look famous already. I just think you have just a beautiful simplicity to your voice. You're one that I’m going to think about when we leave here and wonder what song she's going to sing next. And I feel like I'm going to be just rooting for you. I loved everything about everything you just did. I mean, it's a yes. I'll go first. It's a yes for me." After receiving glowing feedback from the judges, Harper earned two more 'yes' votes from Bryan and Richie, officially securing her spot in this season of Idol University.
