American Idol 's Kai the Singer Reveals Her Church Raised the Money for Her to Travel to Audition
American Idol‘s Kai the Singer is opening up about the power of perseverance.
In a PEOPLE exclusive clip of Monday’s episode, the 19-year-old singer shows viewers just how far she’s come from her hometown of Kingstree, South Carolina.
“Everybody says nothing comes out of Kingstree,” she says. But determined to make a name for herself (and with the monetary help of her local church), Kai was able to audition in front of judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie and earn herself a ticket to Hollywood.
“When my church raised funds for me to get to the first audition, I was lost for words,” she shares. “They’re amazing people.”
Kai shares in the clip, “This right here is my first time doing everything. It’s my first time being on a plane, it felt like a roller coaster. First time riding the escalade. The guy had to literally pump me to get on the escalade. I was terrified.”
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“It’s an escalator,” the cameraman corrects her.
“Oh! It’s an escalator?!” she laughs.
Upon arriving in Hollywood, Kai saw the “amazing” Hollywood sign, which she admittedly “didn’t expect to ever see” in her life.
But she isn’t going to let the glitz and glamour of Hollywood distract her from her goals.
“My strategy is to challenge myself and stay on it, and not let up, because I have too many people counting on me,” says Kai.
Speaking about her family’s financial troubles during her audition, she confessed, “My whole childhood, we were in and out of shelters and hotels, we were even homeless once and living in the car. It still is tough financially. There’s eight people in the house right now, and only two of my brothers have beds, and it’s like a bunk bed.”
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The young singer began her audition by singing Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking out Loud” while strumming along on her acoustic guitar. Because her nerves got the best of her, Richie urged her to sing a tune on the piano. Kai played a moving rendition of “My Girl” by The Temptations, wowing the judges.
Perry was especially moved, as she revealed that she also was “raised by the church.” Holding back tears, she told Kai, “I relate to what you’re saying, and I think it’s so beautiful, and I think it doesn’t really matter where you come from. I know it’s so hard, this struggle, and you’re an inspiration to so many people by getting here today.”
American Idol airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, with five additional Monday night episodes airing now.
