‘American Idol’ singer's moving tribute to friend killed in car crash will have you reaching for tissues
'American Idol' contestant John Foster recently paid a heartfelt tribute to a late friend! During the three-hour Easter Sunday special of 'American Idol' which aired on April 20, Foster sang an original song named 'Tell That Angel I Love Her' and dedicated it to his late friend Maggie Dunn, who was killed along with another friend on the day of New Year's Eve in 2022. For the unversed, the tragic incident occurred when a police officer skipped a red light during a high-speed run chase and rammed into their vehicle. However, in the episode, Foster sang, “No words can describe how I truly feel/ But I hope these will try/ It’s a feeling that I can’t explain/ Deep and endless like the sky."
Before hitting the emotional chorus, the 18-year-old Addis, LA country singer crooned, “Though we may not know the reason/ It’s not for us to understand/ Lord, won’t you tell that angel/ I love her as soon as you can? Sure, the sun will come up/ But it won’t shine on her skin/ And I’d give anything I have/ To talk to her again/ Each tear that falls on my guitar/ Is a hug from afar/ Lord, won’t you tell that angel that I love her?/ As y’all live in the stars.”
As per Billboard, Foster wrapped up his performance by saying, “I love you, Maggie” as his eyes filled with tears. When asked to give her feedback on Foster's performance, judge Carrie Underwood shed light on Foster's old school country balladeering and said, "There’s something wonderfully throwback about your voice, about your style. And I think it’s something that’s lacking in country music today, to be honest. I love that you keep it very traditional. I feel like that’s who you are. I love that in this song, we got to hear a sweet, tender side of your voice that honestly I didn’t know you had.”
Soon after, Luke Bryan told the budding musician, "You've been like a wildcard for me, the whole time, but what you just did there removed all doubts in my mind that you deserve to be here, and I don't know why I was that way. It's not like I think Carrie has been a champion for you, and like when you started singing, I looked at her and she was like told you. So that's what us sitting here is about, but you certainly gained a fan in me tonight."
According to Yahoo! News, Lionel Richie finally chimed in, "You know it's very interesting when you open your mouth on this song, your country, but you're also storytelling country. Now, whether that's old, new, happening now or later, whatever the case may be, it was so believable and I heard every word of every part of your song and that's what great music is about." After the judges’ comments, Foster shared that his late friend Dunn’s mother, Miss Aaron Martin, and her friend, Miss Leslie Klein Peter, were in the studio audience. He then expressed, "Thank you for the strongest women I know."