'Idol' contestant's heartbreaking story of abuse: 'My biological father was the devil'
American Idol has always featured moving backstories, but as the series’ 17-season history has shown, a sob story is nothing if a contestant doesn’t have the goods to back it up. Twenty-seven-year old singer-songwriter and abuse survivor Wade Cota definitely has those goods. As he wisely put it, “Nobody without a broken heart can write a song.” And his mom also wisely told him in the Idol waiting room -- loosely quoting original winner Kelly Clarkson -- “You are proof that whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” This Sunday on Idol, Wade told a harrowing tale of a tragic childhood, but he channeled all of his pain -- and his love for his mother -- into a stunning audition that showcased what judge Katy Perry said was one of the most unique voices she’d ever heard.
“My real dad -- or, I’m going to restart that -- my biological father, he was the devil,” Wade bluntly told the show’s producers Sunday. He revealed that his father beat him, his mother, and his two older siblings for years, leaving him with a scar on his face and a permanent crack in his skull. His mother wasn’t allowed to leave the house with all three children, and it took her two years to finally plot their escape. She ended up raising them alone in poverty -- “We don’t have a lot, but we love each other so much” -- and now all Wade longs to do is repay her for her suffering and sacrifice. “I want to be remembered for something, and it might as well be making my mom proud,” he said. I have a feeling Wade will also be remembered for his incredible voice -- a weathered, world-weary husk that evoked Tom Waits, Louis Armstrong, and Leonard Cohen, but was definitely all his own. “I was not expecting that other person to jump out of your body. .. You brought me a character, and it’s an unusual character because it sounds like you,” judge Lionel Richie told Wade after hearing his cover of George Ezra’s “Blame It on Me.” Said Luke Bryan, “You have your own thing, like Johnny Cash does. I hear your voice in movie soundtracks. I want there to be a No Country for Old Men 2 and you sing every song.” I would absolutely buy that soundtrack. And I will be rooting for Wade as he goes through to Hollywood. Wade was a Sunday standout, but the episode was so talent-packed that the judges actually declared they’d found this season’s champion more than once. Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:
Singer’s tragic story brings Luke Bryan to tears on emotional 'American Idol' premiere
Brave blind singer, Make-a-Wish kid bring the feels and tears on 'American Idol'
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