Growing up, “American Idol” hopeful Samantha Ray always had a duet partner in her sister, Taylor. And even though the Georgia artist had to audition for the singing competition alone, her sibling was in her thoughts the whole time – and the judges could tell.
Ray’s audition aired during Sunday night’s episode of “American Idol,” which also marked the final auditions of Season 23. As she soared through a cover of “I Hope You Dance” by Lee Ann Womack, judges Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Bryan were impressed by Ray’s voice and emotionality.
“From the first note, I was trying to compose myself, because every once in a while we just run across some people who have the absolute trigger on emotions,” Richie said. “You did it perfectly.”
When Bryan asked what Ray been thinking about during the performance, she shared that her sister – who had recently died from a drug overdose – was on her mind.
“Losing her hurts a lot because she was a year younger than me,” she told the judges. “We were very close.”
“We didn’t know what you were thinking about, but you were thinking about something, and that’s being a storyteller,” Underwood said, fighting back tears after the audition. “That pulls people in. That was really special.”
After the vulnerable moment, all three judges voted to send Ray to Hollywood.
“Losing my sister felt like I lost a big part of me,” Ray said. “She was everything.”
“I wish she was here, but I know I have her watching over me,” she added.
