'American Idol' Contestant Shares Heartwarming Audition With His Sister Who Has Special Needs and It's Incredible

An “American Idol” contestant’s heartwarming relationship with his sister has touched fans and the show’s judges.

Cole Hallman, 22, showed up recently to try out for the show and was accompanied by his mom and his sister Katie, who has a chromosomal deletion that has impacted her developmental and behavioral skills.

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“She has a chromosomal deletion. It’s just like a small part of her chromosome is not there,” Hallman said during his “American Idol” interview. “I’m grateful to have her here. She keeps me calm.”

The singer went on to note Katie is his “number one fan” as well as his main critic. The two have a close-knit relationship and frequently sing together, which means a lot to Hallman.

“She teaches me it’s good to sing your heart out,” he said. “It doesn’t always have to be perfect.”

Hallman was nervous when he sang for judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie.

But something unique happened after his initial performance: his sister, Katie, joined him on the “American Idol” audition stage to sing, and he was much freer in his performance once she did, as Perry noted.

Watch it all unfold:

“You were singing with your sister, and you sang with total freedom, and it was so, so good,” Perry said. “Just sing like you’re always going to be singing with your sister. That’s where the joy is, that’s where the happiness is.”

All three judges said Hallman would be passed on to compete, leaving him, his sister, and mom elated.

Hallman regularly shares videos of him and his sister, and, true to his word, she really is his biggest fan. He recently celebrated Katie’s 20th birthday with a touching performance — and brought her on stage to shower her with love:

Check out more of the videos here.

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