Mike Parker Dedicates ‘American Idol’ Performance To His Cancer-Stricken Mom: ‘This Is All For Her’
Virginia native Mike Parker returned to American Idol on Monday evening for the first round of Hollywood Week. Before kicking…
MIke Parker; Photo Courtesy American Idol
Virginia native Mike Parker returned to American Idol on Monday evening for the first round of Hollywood Week.
Before kicking off the show with a cover of Cam’s Platinum-selling hit, “Burning House,” Parker shared an update about his mother’s health as she was hospitalized with a mystery illness prior to his audition.
“Since my audition, we did find out that mom has Leukemia. She’s still fighting, still a marathon, but her numbers are back where they’re supposed to be. She’s in great spirits and my mom would hate it if she was the reason that I wasn’t singing.”
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Parker hopes that he puts a smile on his mother’s face with his performance. He then dedicated his performance to her and promise that he will do all he can to make her proud.
“Being able to take that golden ticket back to her meant more than anything else,” Parker shared. “Seeing her happy, it made me feel like it was worth it. So, I’m here to let her know that I will work my butt off to make it as far as I can in this competition. This is all for her.”
Parker’s performance impressed the judges enough to earn a spot into the next round on American Idol.
The 27-year-old carpenter previously earned praise from Deana Carter after he auditioned with a soulful rendition of her fan-favorite hit, “Strawberry Wine.”
“So blown away at the aspiring artists and existing icons that this amazing song continues to take on new life and new fans!” Carter shared. ”Way to go Mike Parker & American Idol …THANK You for continuing to lift this up! My #mentor bags are packed and ready! ”
American Idol airs every Sunday and Monday at 8/7c EST on ABC.
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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