American Idol: Cam Amen receives hug from Lionel Richie and last 'platinum ... trends now

Cam Amen received a hug from an emotional Lionel Richie and the last 'platinum ticket' as auditions concluded on Sunday's episode of American Idol on ABC.

The 27-year-old singer looked nervous as he approached the audition stage during the season 21 episode as judges Lionel, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan looked on.

Cam admitted that his hands were still sweating before telling the judges about his childhood in Indiana.

'It was a bit rough going in and out of foster care,' Cam told the judges. 'It's not the normal life, of course.'

He started getting emotional as the judges urged him to take his time.

'I just remember being taken out of my classroom by police officers. I'm holding my brother. We didn't know was going on. We were crying waiting for Mom. She never came. We were in foster care a long time. I did leave at 18 and took in my brother and sister. I knew I had to raise them right and get them through high school,' Cam revealed.

Cam said he became the caretaker to his younger siblings for about five years and that his brother is now 21 and his sister is 20.

He then auditioned to the Leonard Cohen song Hallelujah and received a standing ovation from the judges.

Lionel, 73, walked over and immediately gave Cam a hug and was joined by Luke and Katy.

'Welcome home. You've been through a lot, but the rest of your life is waiting on you,' Lionel told him.

Luke, 46, walked back to his chair and admitted that he was moved emotionally by the audition.

'I can't hardly breathe. This is our sixth year here and your style is so beautifully unique. I don't have anybody that I've seen in this chair to compare you to. Every time I wanted you to do something amazing you did it. It was just incredible,' Luke said.

Cam fought back tears himself as the judges praised his audition.

'It sounds like you never got a shot. It sounds like you had to sacrifice. You don't need to hold on to it anymore, just let it come out,' Katy told him.

'For whatever reason, divine guidance brought you to us. And we're going to have one heck of a ride,' Lionel added.

Cam shared that his girlfriend Erica was supporting him at the audition and the judges invited her in.

'He's amazing. He's everything I could ever see in a man that I would, like, just want to be with forever,' Erica said.

Luke then revealed that they were rewarding Cam with the 'platinum ticket' that will give him advantages in the next round.

The 'platinum ticket' allows him to sit out the first round of Hollywood Week. The judges earlier in the season previously handed out 'platinum tickets' to Tyson Venegas, and Kaylin Hedges.

The two-hour episode opened with Kaeyra, 21, of Algonquin, Illinois, playing piano while delivering a unique rendition of the Chris Stapleton song Cold.

Kaeyra revealed that her family moved to the United States from Poland about 22 years ago and her mother was a piano teacher.

The restaurant singer impressed the judges who voted unanimously to send her to Hollywood.

Katy and Lionel urged her to show more range as she continues in the competition.

Elise Kristine, a Washington native who goes to college in Utah, and bartender Sarah Maccaroni, of Carrollton, Georgia, were then shown auditioning along with Jayna Elise, who used to sing with her grandfather.

All three women nailed their auditions and were given

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