When Colby Swift auditioned for American Idol on the March 17 episode, judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie were unanimously in awe of this Texan's country grit.

When Bryan asked him to talk about himself, he told the judges that "a prayer" got him there. The judges all agreed that that's a song in the making. He replied, "I already wrote it, y'all can't take it!"

Swift then let out his dark side: Although he admitted he is a comedian, the comedy is a strateg to hide his pain. His mother left, after saying she was going to get ice cream and never coming back, nine years ago.

Swift's father Justin said, "It's emotional for me when I hear Colby sing, because he's gone through so much in his life. It just makes me proud. I am his biggest fan."

Swift began performing his rendition of Cody Jinks' "Cast No Stones." Once he sang the few lines, Bryan asked him to sing a cappella, without the guitar.

After his performance, Bryan noted, "Well, I don't know if a kid has ever walked in here and been more me at 19."

To that, Swift quipped, "You see yourself? Oh. Were you good-looking back then?"

Bryan laughed. I would've said something like that, too," he admitted.

The judges agreed that Swift has something, but that something is inconsistent and needs a good bit of work. However, they were all pretty much on his team.

Richie further explained, "Let me tell you what you can't teach—that magnetism that makes people look at you and go, 'Now, who the heck is that?' You've got something that makes us pay attention to you." Bryan added that he was unpolished, but talented.

Unsurprisingly, all three decided to vote him through to the Hollywood round. Bryan told the judges, "God bless him...I love this kid."

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