When McKenna Breinholt, 25, went to her American Idol audition, she didn’t expect it to change her life. From Gilbert, Arizona, McKenna shared her adoption story with the judges. She was adopted as a child and never knew her birth family until she discovered she was the daughter of folk singer Amy Ross Lopez. Despite her mother’s passing, McKenna was amazed to learn that her mother was also a singer.
After telling her story, McKenna sat at the piano and performed a touching version of “There Was Jesus” by Zach Williams and Dolly Parton. The judges exchanged emotional looks during her performance. Impressed by her soulful voice, Katy Perry asked, “Do you want to invite your family in for the final judgment?” As McKenna went to the door to invite her family, she had no idea she would meet her birth family for the first time.
McKenna was overwhelmed with emotions at this unexpected moment. The family cried tears of joy as they hugged for the first time, and even the judges appeared shocked, with Lionel Richie asking, “What just happened?” When everyone came together in the middle of the stage, Katy Perry had to hold back her tears. Luke Bryan suggested they needed “an hour” together as he witnessed the heartfelt moment shared by the family.
Katy then asked McKenna if she knew any of her mother’s songs. She replied affirmatively and sat down at the piano to play one called “Tumbleweed.” The emotional scene brought tears to everyone’s eyes as McKenna sang one of her mother’s original songs to her birth family. As she played, her newfound family gathered around her, overcome with emotion. When she finished singing, Katy inquired if McKenna sounded like her mother. McKenna’s grandmother remarked that it was “like a ghost,” evoking memories of her daughter’s musical talent.
Katy summed up the moment by saying, “Music is connection, music is emotion, music is heart. You’re not the only person out there that’s searching for their birth family. There are hundreds and thousands and tens of thousands watching this right now that are going to me too, me too, me too.”
At the end of the audition, both McKenna’s adopted and birth families gathered to hear the judge’s decision. They cheered and applauded together when she received three yeses and advanced to the next round.