Forward of the Sunday, March 23, episode of American Idol, the present launched footage of an inspiring audition from Sam Sparks. Proper off the bat, it was clear that Sam had a narrative to share, as he approached judges Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Bryan in a wheelchair.
The 25-year-old Arkansas native opened up about his love of vehicles. “Way back to I can bear in mind, vehicles have all the time been a ardour of mine. I used to be 15 once I constructed my first automobile. I used to be so pleased with that factor,” he shared.
Nevertheless, a terrifying automobile accident in 2022 ended up being what put him within the wheelchair that he now depends on. “Two years in the past, I used to be simply headed to a store that was possibly two miles away. It was raining, it was just a little moist. The car had some sort of failure and misplaced management and flew off the street,” Sam defined. “Thirty-five yards or so within the air, then landed, hit a parked automobile head-on.”
Disney/Eric McCandless
Sam was left paralyzed from the waist down after the accident. “I seemed down and I couldn’t transfer my legs,” he recalled. “I instantly knew that my again was damaged.” In a January 2023 TikTok video Sam mentioned his accident resulted in “no feeling or motion from the waist down.” Nevertheless, he saved a optimistic angle, including, “I could also be paralyzed however I’m gonna make the most effective of it.”
For his Idol audition, Sam sang an authentic music he wrote known as “Colorado Grey,” which he advised the Arkansas Instances was impressed by a fellow affected person on the hospital he was in whereas recovering from his spinal twine surgical procedures.
Relating to his Idol audition, Sam advised the outlet, “Simply touring with my gear and coping with the bodily ache I expertise on daily basis, these issues had been all challenges. I obtained via it and was very excited to audition.”
The efficiency impressed the judges. “I just like the music,” Underwood mentioned. “You bought a cool voice to associate with it.” Bryan added, “I like how your voice is yours and completely different than what now we have.” Whereas the preview clips often finish earlier than the judges reveal their resolution in regards to the contestant’s future within the competitors, this one confirmed that Sam acquired a golden ticket and will probably be headed to Hollywood.
American Idol, Sundays, 8/7c, ABC