Lionel Richie tears up after 'American Idol' group delivers heartwarming surprise for blind member
NBC's 'American Idol' has to be one of the most popular and highly watched singing reality shows. While the reality program certainly has its share of drama, it also has some of the most heartwarming moments in TV history. In one such instance, a group's heartfelt move for their blind groupmate earned major appreciation. To add more, Lionel Richie couldn't hold back and joined them on stage for an embrace.
During 'American Idol' Season 17’s Hollywood Week, the group 'Unexpected Vibe' surprised judges with their heartfelt gesture. The group, which was made up of Dimitrius Graham, William Oliver Jr., Assata Renay, and blind teen Shayy Winn, as per Yahoo! Entertainment. Winn, who lost her vision just a year earlier, faced challenges during rehearsals, especially with choreography and remembering lyrics to the Backstreet Boys' 'I Want It That Way.' To stand with Winn, his groupmates wore blackout goggles onstage in solidarity.
Oliver explained to the judges that they wore the goggles to "be in perspective with [Shayy] … We could not have done this without wearing these glasses." Soft-hearted judge Richie was deeply moved by the group's act of solidarity, rushing onstage to embrace the singers and saying, "Every time you think you know just about everything and you've seen everything, you come to a show like this, and you just remind us of what God's gift really looks like." Later, Winn, Assata, and Dimitrius moved ahead in the competition, but for Oliver, it marked the end of the road, as per Billboard.
This was not the first time Winn made Richie emotional. During her audition, she powerfully performed Andra Day's "Rise Up." While Perry praised her voice, saying she sang like "an angel," Richie, on the other hand, visibly moved, hugged her, and said, "You have wrecked me. Thank you for that... you're a lesson to us all, OK? Because it's the power of the spirit, and you're the reminder of just how blessed we are," as per Pop Sugar.
However, Winn's journey in the show was cut short during 'American Idol's Top 40 showcase episode. The decision was a tough one, prompting Luke Bryan to admit, "People aren't going to like us for that one, and I'm not sure I like us for that one." Winn failed to impress with her final performance of Adele’s 'All I Ask' in Hawaii, as per Gold Derby. Delivering the difficult news, Richie told the 18-year-old, "We're American Idol. This is a singing competition, and we have to judge you on that."
Richie gently broke the news to Winn, saying, "We love you, and I'm sure America has fallen in love with you. The potential of where you can go with this is endless. The timing may be wrong. You're not gonna make the Top 20, but we love you and thank you for what you've given us." Before Winn exited, Perry praised her for her "strength" and "bravery." Winn, smiling through the moment, hugged her fellow contestants and said, "I'm upset. It hurts to say goodbye to everyone and everything. I'm sad to say bye to everybody. But I came here to do what I had to do, and I did it."