‘American Idol’ Contestant Breaks Down Sharing His Coming Out Story [VIDEO]
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Robert Taylor auditioned for Season 18 of American Idol with the emotional ballad “Bruises” by Lewis Capaldi. He said that he was “terrified” before he sang and still managed to blow the judges away. He shared his coming out story with the entire world. Take a look back at one of the most inspirational auditions of all time.
Robert Taylor Shared Emotional Coming Out Story On ‘American Idol’
Robert’s nerves were on full display during his audition but he was able to put them aside for the big performance. “I think your voice is absolutely incredible,” Lionel Richie said before asking what made Robert come to audition. He auditioned for American Idol to honor his father who passed away a few months prior. His father was always a huge fan of the show and encouraged him to be his true self.
Growing up, Robert was very heavily involved in the church. He was not allowed to listen to certain styles of music other than gospel. While other kids were at parties he was at Bible study. Robert felt like he couldn’t be himself most of the time. When he came out as gay a lot of his family disowned him. His dad was the only person in his life that accepted him fully before losing his battle with drug addiction.
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“I think that you’re such a good singer now is a good time to figure out what kind of artist you want to be and really dial it in,” Katy Perry said. “Because it’s not just about a voice, it’s American Idol. It’s about a bunch of different boxes but we want to help you find those boxes.”
He Advanced To Hollywood Week
They sent him to Hollywood where he performed “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin. He advanced on to the duet stage singing “Say So” by PJ Morton and JoJo with Tito Rey. Robert was sent into the next stage in the competition while Tito was sent home.
He sang an original song for his solo performance which impressed the judges, taking him to the Hawaii round. Robert’s performance of “Take Me to the Pilot” by Elton John was not enough to send him to the live shows. He was eliminated from the competition in a very emotional on-camera moment.
If you think Robert’s American Idol journey was inspiring, make sure to check out the video below. It features several incredible acts that shared their powerful stories on talent competition shows.
Where Is Robert Taylor Now?
Robert reflected on his American Idol experience on Instagram. “I chose to show my flaws and allow others to see the beauty and perfection that lies in imperfection,” he wrote. “But ultimately, I chose to be Love and to share the Light within me with the hopes that you all might see and know the love and light within yourselves.”
He also previously competed on The Voice and recently took a look back at his time in the competition. “When @pharrell calls you the DEFINITION of DIFFERENT and EFFORTLESS, @xtina says you are ELECTRIC and have EVERYTHING and even get @adamlevine to thrust hips and throw papers… Nothing left to be said” he wrote on Instagram. He landed on Team Christina in the show’s eighth season and made it to the Top 10.
Robert continues to upload covers on Instagram and YouTube.
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Robert is a huge inspiration to so many people and teased that he has new music in the works to be released in the future.