When McKenna Breinholt, 25, arrived at her American Idol audition, she had no idea what a life-changing day it would be. Raised in Gilbert, Arizona, McKenna opened up to the judges about her adoption story. She said she had no idea where her musical talent came from until, after searching for years, she found her birth mother – a woman named Amy Ross Lopez. Although her mother had sadly passed away, she was amazed to find that her mother was a singer, too.
After sharing her powerful story, McKenna sat down at the piano to perform a moving rendition of There Was Jesus by Zach Williams and Dolly Parton. The judges shared emotional looks during her performance. At the end of her performance, Idol judge Katy Perry asked McKenna to invite her family into the room. Little did she know, not only was her adopted family waiting outside, but also her entire birth family was waiting to meet her for the very first time.
McKenna became highly emotional as this enormous moment in her life played out entirely unexpectedly. The family cried as they hugged for the very first time, and even the judges looked shocked, with Lionel Richie asking, “What just happened?” When everyone gathered together in the middle of the stage, Katy Perry had to hold back tears. Luke Bryan said he felt he needed to “give them an hour” together as he looked on at the personal and meaningful moment the family shared.
Katy then asked if McKenna knew any of her mother’s songs. She said she did and sat down at the piano to play one of them called “Tumbleweed.” As she played the song, her newfound family gathered around her, shedding tears. When she had finished singing, Katy asked if she sounded the same as her mother. McKenna’s grandmother told her that it was “like a ghost” as she was taken back to the memory of her daughter’s own musical talent.
Katy summed up the moment by commenting, “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 me too, me too, me too.”
At the end of the audition, the family gathered together to hear the judge’s verdict. Both McKenna’s adopted and birth families came together to cheer and applaud in support when she received three yeses and was sent through to the next round.
To hear more from the talented singer, McKenna Breinholt, don’t hesitate to subscribe to her YouTube channel. You can also connect with her on Facebook and Instagram for more updates on her inspiring journey in music.