An 18-year-old teen from Perryville is now an overnight sensation after her American Idol audition, reported the Herald-Leader.
Alyssa Wray is from a small town in Kentucky with fewer than 1,000 residents, and now she being hailed has having a "once in a generation" talent.
Wray grabbed the attention of the room with her rendition of "I Am Changing" by Jennifer Hudson from the movie Dreamgirls.
Wray said, "Growing up, I kind of did always stand out. I'm a six-foot-two black woman who has an outspoken voice, and I've just always been colorful and outside the box."
The judge were astonished by her performance.
American Idol judge and country singer Luke Bryan said that Wray had a "presence," which is "the most challenging things in entertainment."
Judge and singer-songwriter Lionel Richie said, "How lucky are we to finally say, 'we knew you when, and we had something to do with it?' "
He said in a tweet to Wray, "You had us out of our seats! @itsalyssawray that is how you close the show!"
Judge and pop star Katy Perry said that she believed Wray can achieve anything that she has ever dreamed of.
Wray is a student at Northern Kentucky University and said that she grew up watching the show. She said, "It finally feels like I'm getting closer to what I've always been meant to do. I hope it is , and I think it is, so we'll see."
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