Chris Tungseth Channels Chris Stapleton Energy In Emotional Idol Performance That Changes Everything

Chris Tungseth, 27, was the last hopeful singer to step into the American Idol Season 24 audition room, and it’s safe to say we have not seen the last of him in the competition. The Minnesota native’s life story has involved a lot of highs and lows and a lot of emotions that he now expresses through music. With his family by his side, he is ready to embark on the next chapter in his life.

“I just feel so fortunate. I’m so blessed. I’ve been given the greatest family in the world,” he shared.

The footage took viewers to Chris’ home in Fergus Falls, MN to show a glimpse of the path that he has walked to get to this point in life. Growing up, he says his childhood was “so fun and so simple,” but that unfortunately changed as he got older.

At 10 years old, his mom was diagnosed with a “pretty aggressive” form of multiple sclerosis and had to be in a hospital located four hours away. Twelve years after enduring that struggle, his dad, who he described as being his “best friend” and his “foundation,” was diagnosed with leukemia.

“That was the worst thing I’ve ever had in my life. Like Superman is no longer Superman. My siblings moved home to help me take care of them. I mean, all of us put life on hold, but there was nothing else that we would’ve done. That was honestly the biggest gift for us to be close to them.”

Now that his father has since passed, Chris is making strides to carry on his legacy and keep their family’s passion for music alive. For his audition, he chose to sing an original song that he penned in honor of his late loved one, titled “Lonely Road.”

In another heartbreaking image of the aspiring singer standing over his father’s grave, he said “Pops, I wish you were part of this. I wish you were here to see this thing go through, but I’m just going to be me, and I hope they see you through me.”

The footage returns to the audition room just in time to heart Chris perform his powerful song as his siblings listened intently from the side of the room. The deeply moving story was so raw and emotional, it could easily bring tears to anyone’s eyes. Strumming his acoustic guitar, the singer lets each word flow straight from his heart, capturing the weight of loneliness, loss, and the longing to be reunited.

The lyrics tell a story of someone who feels far from home and forced to learn life’s hard lessons with a piece of their heart missing. With lines like “I still have a million questions only you got answers to” and “We’re gonna make it through / I’m holding onto you,” the song creates an intimate, emotional experience that resonates long after the last note.

There was no doubt in Carrie Underwood’s voice when she told Chris, “I love everything about you.”

She continued, “I love your presence. I love how open you are in the way you talk, communicate, and the way you sing. You have an incredible voice. It’s powerful and it’s beautiful. It’s masculine and it’s soft at the same time. You kind of have all the things just very impressive. The gift that you have to work with and the way that you work with it.”

Lionel Richie pointed out that it’s not just his powerful storytelling and stunning vocals that will resonate with people, it’s also the thing she will say in between each song.

“You have a ministry, a real strong connection to people. I was so touched by the fact that you said, ‘I’m blessed. I’m grateful.’ There was a point in my life where I thought my dad’s dying and my life’s falling apart. There was a little aid over in the corner of the hospital and I was talking to my dad. He was in and out of a coma. He said, ‘you’re very lucky.’ And I looked at him and said, ‘what are you talking about?’ I said, ‘he is in a coma.’ And he said, ‘I was just thinking, I wish I had a dad to love as much as you have.’”

Luke Bryan was also able to relate to Chris’ story of loss as he has been through his fair share of tragedy in his lifetime. He was so moved by the performance that he compared the singer to country music sensation, Chris Stapleton.

“I had setbacks in my life that put my music career on hold and I matured and grew up during those years. It’s really perfect to me what you’re doing,” he shared. “I’ve been in the room with Chris Stapleton a lot of times. You’ve got those little vibes going on. You’ve got that ability to whisper with soul and turn it up. You just got a lot of stuff going on and don’t be afraid to turn ’em loose because we’re going to be there every step of the way encouraging you.”

With the tremendous support flowing from the judges, Chris Tungseth earned a golden ticket and celebrated with a group hug with his family, followed by a call to his mom back home to let her in on the news.

“I know my dad would be so happy and I know he’d be the first person cheering me on as soon as I walked out that door,” he told the camera.

With auditions officially wrapped up for Season 24 of American Idol, the contestants will move onto Hollywood Week and fight for their spot in the Top 30. See the competition heat up each week with new episodes airing airing Monday nights at 8/7c on ABC and streams the next day on Hulu.