He’s only 15, yet he’s already weathered storms that would destroy most. Abused by his stepfather and homeless at the age of twelve, he recalls that awful night—shivering on the pavement, his mother holding on to him for warmth—until his grandfather’s headlights pierced through the darkness, providing a lifeline in the cold.

“Everything fell apart in an instant,” he tells me. Now, standing beneath the harsh stage lights, he pours every scar and anguish into Jason Isbell’s Cover Me Up. His voice, raw with grief and indignation, trembles yet does not crack. When the last note fades, the audience falls quiet, the weight of his narrative hanging heavily in the air. All three judges burst into tears.

Days before the Season 22 launch, American Idol released a remarkable audition from a 15-year-old hopeful called Triston Harper. His terrible tale and wonderful performance have brought people to tears.

Triston, an Alabama native, spoke with judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie about his background before taking the stage and demonstrating his skills. By the age of 11, he had suffered severe abuse from his stepfather, and by the age of 12, he had become homeless.

“Everything unraveled abruptly,” Triston confided in me. “The worst time in my life was when my mom and I were homeless and sleeping on the street.”

Triston recalled feeling powerless the first night on the streets. While his mother was in tears, he pleaded for aid, and his grandfather answered his requests.

“My pawpaw drove all the way from Alabama to Arkansas, nonstop, to get us,” he told me. Triston Harper got into music to make his mother proud.

The aspiring country musician revealed that he “got into music” because his mother wanted him and his brothers to “be something.” And, with a smile, he said he never imagined he’d get the opportunity to tell his tale on American Idol.

Triston Harper then sang a soulful rendition of Jason Isbell’s Cover Me Up.