Former Homeless ‘American Idol’ Contestant Gets A New Outlook On Life After Becoming A Dad
ABC Reading Time: 3 minutes
Dennis Lorenzo was once homeless but things started to turn around for him when he found a job and became a father. He auditioned for Season 16 of American Idol with “Unaware” by Allen Stone which completely blew the judges away. Take a look at his incredible audition below.
‘American Idol’ Contestant Dennis Lorenzo Was Once Homeless
Dennis grew up in West Philadelphia which people refer to as “The Bottom.” It is an area plagued by a lot of gun violence. When he was just 5 years old his father was murdered. He said prior to his audition that growing up without his dad was tough and it led him down the wrong path.
After dealing with the wrong crowd of people, Dennis was left homeless. He began sleeping in cars and parks. He applied for a job and when they asked for his home address he said that he lived around the corner in a tent. Dennis got the job and life really turned around for him. At the time of his American Idol audition, he was living with his girlfriend and the couple had welcomed a baby girl.
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“I’m smiling the whole time you’re doing this” Lionel Richie gushed. “It’s refreshing. The way you sound, I love your delivery and I love your attitude.” Katy Perry added that they see a lot of people audition and always wonder if they will develop into an American Idol. But with Dennis’s audition, she did not have to convince herself that he sounded good because it was very apparent that he sounded amazing.
Luke Bryan asked Dennis about his guitar. The guitar he was using had a large hole in the side of it. “We see these kids come in and their parents have bought them the nicest guitar money can buy,” he said. “You just took a guitar with a hole in it and you made that thing with three chords have all the soul that it needs. You did it.”
The Judges Put Him Through To Hollywood
The judges all voted Dennis through to Hollywood Week without question. He soared through the group round and sang “Home” by Daughtry in the Solo Round. The judges later advanced him on to the Top 24. He got to sing a duet of “Unaware” with Allen Stone himself during the live shows.
Dennis made it all the way to the Top 10 where he sang “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” by Elton John. He was later eliminated from the competition, ending his American Idol journey.
Check out the compilation below that features six homeless contestants that inspired the world with their stories. Many of them had life-changing auditions on talent competition shows that left a permanent mark on people watching at home.
Where Is Dennis Lorenzo Now?
After appearing on American Idol, Dennis continues to work on music from his home studio. He opened up about life after the show in an interview and encouraged aspiring musicians to invest in their own home studios. “Firstly, if you think your career is set for life after becoming Top-10 on a show like American Idol, think again! ” he said.
Dennis actually recently posted a picture of the missing piece of the guitar that he was playing during his American Idol audition. This definitely brought back some nostalgia for the artist who is certainly ready to take his career to the next level.
He also recently put out a song called “Black King” under the name RENZØ.
SEE ALSO: HOMELESS SUBWAY SINGER STUNS ‘AMERICAN IDOL’ & HER MOTHER’S REACTION IS PRICELESS
What did you think of Dennis’s American Idol journey?
