Keyla Richardson, a single mother, gospel singer and music teacher, stepped back into the spotlight during a tense Hollywood Week in Nashville on American Idol to see if she will advance to the next round of the competition.
The 29-year-old Florida native faced a major test during Hollywood Week, held in Music City for the first time ever, as she fought to secure a spot in the Top 30 amid the largest cut in American Idol history. Prior to stepping in front of the star-studded panel of Idol judges on The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts stage, Keyla Richardson admitted that this is a “big moment” for her to show America that she has what it takes to be a star.
“I’m ready to get out there and just do what I got to do. Never in a million years I thought I would be here,” Richardson admitted before reflecting on her Idol audition. “The audition with the judges went really good. It was such a vibe. And just having my son on the idol journey has been a joy. I’ve been doing music for six years. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs and I was doubting myself, but I never gave up. That fight was still burning.”
During her emotional American Idol audition, Keyla Richardson moved Luke Bryan to tears with P!nk’s “Glitter In The Air,” earning praise from Carrie Underwood and Lionel Richie. Before Idol, the gospel singer was a finalist on BET’s Sunday Best, scored a No. 1 on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart with “So Good,” and appeared in the 2022 film Due Season alongside Vivica A. Fox.
Keyla Richardson then took the stage to deliver a show-stopping performance of “I Won’t Give Up” by Jason Mraz, dedicated to her son Drew. “I want to let my son know that… Never give up baby boy. I love you. This is for you baby,” she said before going into the performance as her son watched alongside the judges in Carrie Underwood‘s seat.
“She’s doing real good right now,” Underwood whispered in her son’s ear as Richardson belted out the lyrics to the Mraz hit. Mesmerized by his mom’s powerhouse vocals, Drew sat at the judges’ panel with his jaw dropped in awe of her talent.
Luke Bryan praised Richardson’s voice and performance. “I don’t know how you sang with him looking at you like that,” Bryan admitted. “Listen, it’s so good to see you here. I love your look. I love the song. You just slayed that and even showed us more of what you are.”
Richardson then revealed she would be covering a Jason Mraz song for her performance during Hollywood Week. “The song I’m singing today is ‘I Won’t Give Up’ by Jason Mraz. It speaks to me because the first thing I thought about is just me and my son. So when I sing the song, I’m singing to him,” the Idol hopeful explained of her song choice. “I do want to be somebody for my son. I want him to know you can do anything you put your mind to do.”