‘American Idol’: Luke Bryan wants to 'ugly cry' after autistic singer's inspiring audition

Before you sit down to watch the latest batch of "American Idol" auditions, it might be a good idea to make sure there are some tissues nearby.

It's a lesson Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie learned the hard way after all three judges were brought to the brink of tears by Sam Finelli's inspiring audition on Sunday night's episode.

Before he started singing, the 28-year-old cashier from Peachtree Corners, Georgia opened up about living with autism and how music helped him feel less alone growing up.

"I was always different as a kid," Finelli said. "It was lonely growing up, but music was like my best friend."

Finelli's mother, who accompanied him to the audition, said her son is high-functioning but struggles to connect with others. A longtime "Idol" super fan, Finelli said he didn't work up the confidence to audition until recently and hadn't performed for an audience outside of doing local karaoke.

"I kind of shy away from singing with people," he said. "Right now, I sing in my bedroom. Right now, I sing in my basement. Right now, I sing in my shower. I'm afraid I'm not good enough... but I wanted to give it a shot."

Finelli delivered a soaring rendition of "Rainbow" by Kacey Musgraves that brought all three judges to their feet. His eyes watering, Finelli assured the panel "these are happy tears."

"I want you to know right now we are so proud of you," said Richie. "Sam, you were born enough... You understand me? You are enough."

Perry told Finelli he "picked the perfect song."

"There's always been a rainbow hanging over your head," she continued. "All that you have to do is let go of all that fear and that negativity and always sing from your heart. That's all you have to do. And that's exactly what you did just then."

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Bryan said Finelli's audition "felt like an experience."

"I love an experience," he continued. "Thank you for being here."

With his mom standing by his side, Finelli earned three yes votes, sending him through to Hollywood.

The judges were clearly still reeling after Finelli left the room.

"Luke Bryan has lost it," said Perry, as the country crooner wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "If you're gonna go ugly cry in the bathroom, me too."

Is Abigail Brooks the next Barbra Streisand?

Finelli wasn't the only standout.

Abigail Brooks, a self-described "old soul" from Castle Rock, Colorado, gave a dreamy performance of "Vincent" by Don McLean that earned the approval of all three judges.

Before her audition, the 21-year-old barista confessed she's most comfortable singing into a broom alone at her coffee shop.

"I always wait for when the customers are gone, and then I grab a broom from the back and pretend it's a microphone," she said.

So to help with her audition, Perry requested a broom be provided for Brooks to wield like a microphone.

The prop clearly paid off.

"When you started, I got chills," Perry said after her audition. "Some of those notes that you were hitting, you could just feel them. You are that one in a hundred."

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Bryan predicted Brooks will sweep the competition on Disney night but wasn't sure how she'd fit into the show as a whole, which usually consists of pop, country, rock and soul singers.

"You're just a great singer of that style of music," he continued. "You're just singing beautifully natural. Is it altogether 100% practical for 'American Idol'? I'm not sure."

But the highest compliment came from Richie, who compared Brooks to one of his friends, iconic vocalist Barbra Streisand.

"I know Barbra very well, and she is playful," he said. "But when she opens her mouth and walks out on that stage, she turns into exactly what you're trying to be, which is a phenomenon. You've got some qualities that only belong to you, and that's the part I'm in love with."

He added: "I can't wait to call Barbra and tell her about you. It's a yes for me."

In addition to getting a golden ticket to Hollywood, Brooks also got to keep the broom.

"I am taking this broom to the top and beyond," she said. "Hopefully Barbra Streisand and I will have a broom duet one day."

'She’s maybe the winner': Gary Baker’s granddaughter wows judges

When music runs in your family, expectations for "Idol" can be high.

But Cadence Baker, the granddaughter of country singer Gary Baker, who wrote the hit song "I Swear," lived up to her family's legacy.

The 18-year-old from Muscle Shoals, Alabama sang Whitney Houston's "I'm Your Baby Tonight," with her dad accompanying her on the guitar. 

Baker earned high praise from all three judges, including Richie, who also commended her father's guitar playing.

"I think it's one of the best auditions I've seen," said Bryan. "I wrote 'potentially top 10 down."

When Baker walked out of the room with a golden ticket in hand, Bryan made a bold prediction: "She's maybe the winner."

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