Standing ovation for Clarkson wannabe, Viet singer Tran
LOS ANGELES: American Idol judges have given a rare standing ovation to a Vietnamese immigrant, comparing her vocals to past winner Kelly Clarkson
Myra Tran wowed judges, Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan, with her powerful rendition of One Night Only by former winner Jennifer Hudson.
Myra Tran had decided to keep it in the American Idol family when she auditioned for ABC’s singing competition.
Tran, 19, became an instant front runner in the season two premiere with her stirring, soulful rendition of One Night Only, performed by Jennifer Hudson in the 2006 film musical Dreamgirls.
Wide-eyed in disbelief, judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan high-fived and jumped to their feet immediately following the powerhouse performance, comparing Tran to original Idol Kelly Clarkson, who had won the show’s first season on Fox in 2002.
There’s nothing we can compare you to. You have stepped into a zone that’s yours, and what I want you to do from now on is rule your zone. Lionel Richie, singer and contest judge
“You’re up there with the Kelly Clarksons of the world; that’s the only way that I can say it,” Bryan said.
“There’s nothing we can compare you to,” Richie raved. “You have stepped into a zone that’s yours, and what I want you to do from now on is rule your zone.”
However, the judges’ cooing over Tran’s imperfect English was discomforting to watch, as Perry waxed poetic about “music transcending language barriers” and later exclaimed, “I’ve never heard of a Vietnamese singer as good as you”.