A 17-year-old Filipino-Canadian teen named Tyson Venegas gained the first-ever platinum ticket for the 21st edition of American Idol.
Venegas wowed the Idol judges with his soulful rendition of Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind" while playing the piano.
Judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan felt the shiver as he confidently hit each riff and run, curling his voice and doing slow vibrato, leaving the three with a jaw-dropping performance.
With his powerful performance piece, the 17-year-old hopeful made Richie quip, pushing him to validate his age by calling his mother.
"He’s claiming to be 17 years old, but he’s performing like a 45-year-old," Richie told Venegas' mother to verify his age.
To tell them a short story, Venegas' mom told them that one of her son's first concerts was Richie's and that he was inspired by the judge, and that's when he learned to sing from his heart.
"We’ve flipped the switch now. I inspired him back then, and he just inspired us today. "Let me tell you, that performance was spot-on professional," said Richie.
As agreed by the Idol judges, Venegas then obtained the platinum ticket for his amazing performance, which grants the aspiring singer the opportunity to "coast through one whole week of Hollywood week."
American Idol's exclusive platinum ticket, introduced only last year, will be distributed during the audition round. This is expected to be higher than the golden ticket typically awarded to contestants who advance to the next round following an outstanding performance.
Venegas will be able to watch from the sidelines rather than participate in the first round of performances during Hollywood Week.
