Carrie Underwood fought back tears as she shared her thoughts about an American Idol hopeful’s heartfelt original song in honor of his late father.
Freddie McClendon, 19, performed an original ballad called “You Never Loved Him” when he auditioned for Underwood, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. McClendon explained that his father, Davis McClendon, died in a hit-and-run murder on May 7, 2023. He was 46.
McClendon told the trio of judges that he’s been writing music since his freshman year of high school, but he began taking his songwriting more seriously after losing his father. The Idol hopeful explained, “I wanted to tell the story of his life,” rather than focus on his loss. Now, the aspiring singer-songwriter from Greenwood, South Carolina is a student at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. He reflected on a visit to Nashville with his dad, who told him at that time that he could be one of the artists singing in Music City someday.
“I miss him every day,” McClendon said. “He was something so much bigger than just the true crime story of the week. He was our dad. He meant the world to us.”
McClendon’s rendition of his original song captivated all three judges. A tear rolled down Underwood’s cheek as she applauded the performance. She said “I need a sec,” and reached for tissues to dab her eyes before she could share her feedback with McClendon.
“Thank you for bringing that and sharing your heart. And it’s so brave of you to decide that you want to choose the narrative that you want to remember him — ‘him,’ not what happened, but him,” Underwood said. She added later, “it was a good song, and you could just feel your heart behind it. Apart from that, your voice, there’s something super cool and throwback about it.”
Bryan and Richie echoed Underwood’s praise, noting McClendon’s “honest” and emotional songwriting that has the power to move others. McClendon’s family joined him in the audition room to hear the unanimous “yes” vote from the judges, sending McClendon through to Hollywood.
“I’m so proud that I was able to tell my dad’s story, and it meant the world that it resonated with Carrie Underwood, and that was incredible,” the American Idol contestant said. “I’m beyond blessed.”