After four weeks of American Idol audition episodes, the Hollywood Week competitors have been set.
Monday night’s episode of American Idol revealed the last batch of hopefuls to receive a coveted Golden Ticket to Hollywood Week. Chris Tungseth was the last contestant to audition, and he was well worth the wait.
Tungseth is a 27-year-old construction worker from Fergus Falls, Minnesota. He has a voice, story, and look that won’t be easy for viewers to forget.
The talented singer hails from a musical family. His late father, Mark Tungseth, was a pastor, worship leader, and opera singer. His mother, Cathy, is a singer, piano player, and piano teacher. Music has always been a vital part of the Tungseth household, and Chris turned to it to help him cope after his mom was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and his dad, whom he called his best friend, died of leukemia.
“That was the worst thing I’ve ever had in my life. Like Superman is no longer Superman. My siblings moved home to help me take care of them. I mean, all of us put life on hold, but there was nothing else that we would’ve done. That was honestly the biggest gift for us to be close to them,” Chris said.
Chris Tungseth honored his late father with an original song for his Idol audition.
Tungseth’s siblings traveled to Nashville with him for his audition. They watched from the side stage as Chris sang a special song he wrote for their late father. The song, called “Lonely Road,” reflects on the singer’s journey through life after suffering a loss.
The judges were clearly moved by Chris Tungseth’s performance, with Lionel Richie appearing to blink back tears. He later told Chris that he remembers having similar feelings while dealing with the death of his own father, and called Chris’s talent a “ministry.”
Luke Bryan, who has suffered a great deal of tragic loss in his life, also related to Tungseth.
“I had setbacks in my life that put my career on hold, and I matured and grew up during those years,” Luke shared. “It’s really perfect to me what you’re doing.”
The “Drink A Beer” singer then compared Tungseth’s voice to Chris Stapleton, saying that he shares Stapleton’s ability to “whisper with soul.”
“You’ve got a lot of stuff going on, and don’t be afraid to turn ’em loose,” Luke said.
Carrie Underwood also heaped praise upon Chris.
“I love everything about you. I love your presence. I love how open you are and the way you talk communicate, and sing communicate,” she said. “You have an incredible voice. It’s powerful and beautiful. It’s masculine and it’s soft at the same time. You kind of have all the things.”
Watch Chris Tungseth’s emotional American Idol audition in the video below.
