Jamal Roberts Shakes Up American Idol With Tear-Breaking Performance of “A Change Is Gonna Come” for His Deceased Stepmother
On Sunday night, the American Idol stage was more than just a place to find a voice—it was a place to touch the soul. Jamal Roberts, a gym teacher from Missouri, brought the studio to a standstill as he spoke tearfully about his late stepmother, whom he called “the angel in my life.”
Dressed in a simple suit, Jamal stepped out, grabbed the microphone, and belted out the first notes of Sam Cooke’s legendary “A Change Is Gonna Come.” But what moved millions wasn’t just his voice, but the raw, raw, and delicate emotion he conveyed in each word.
Luke Bryan held his breath throughout the entire song, and when the last note ended, he could only sigh, as if he had witnessed a miracle. “I didn’t know if I was hearing a voice or witnessing a prayer,” he said through tears. Katy Perry placed her hand over her heart and nodded silently, while Lionel Richie choked up: “Son, your mother is smiling. She just heard it all.”
Social media exploded with responses from viewers across the US.
