The opportunity to perform on American Idol was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for 18-year-old DJ Johnson, the daughter of a worship leader, who moved the judges to tears with a performance of her original song “Scars.”
DJ Johnson, the sixth child in a family of ten, told the judges and audiences across the country about how her mother abandoned them just a year ago.
She sang “Scars,” an original song she wrote to express the pain she has felt since her mother abandoned their family.
DJ’s lifelong passion has always been music, and she was visibly upset when she spoke about how her mother had belittled her over it in her childhood.
DJ sang and played the piano in the American Idol studio, but her emotions got the best of her and she stopped mid-song. The judges were overcome with emotion and comforted her; Lionel handed her a handkerchief and had her father hug her before she continued her audition.
When Luke asked if she wanted to sing another song, Katy Perry said that DJ Johnson needed to finish the song, so she composed herself and sang “Scars.”
“Some of the greatest artists become artists because they have had the most pain in their lives,” Katy said to DJ as she wiped her own tears. “It’s about whether you can turn that pain into a purpose. Continue to be brave.”
All three judges agreed, and the young woman advanced to the next round of the competition.