Malaysian singer Cheryl K brought Grammy-winning musician Lionel Richie to tears with her American Idol audition of his song Endless Love.
The Los Angeles-based singer, whose full name is Cheryl Koh, appeared on the March 7 episode where she asked if Richie would perform a duet with her.
Richie obliged and began singing the opening lines of his 1981 hit with Diana Ross.
Koh then proceeded to show off her vocals as she cradled her pet dog named Jimmy Choo in her arms.
The performance managed to move Richie and his fellow judges Katy Perry and Luke Bryan, who praised Koh for her passion and guts.
Unfortunately, they decided not to let her through to the next round.
They encouraged Koh to keep chasing her dreams in music and gain more control in her voice.
“You have brought tears and wonderful memories to my mind.
“But you’re going to be competing with some very fierce voices and I’m just not in my heart of hearts thinking that you’re properly equipped to go up against some of these voices,” said Richie.
Despite the rejection, Koh’s spirits have not been dampened and she walked out of the audition with her head held high.
“I’m so proud of myself for being daring enough to try it and grateful that I got to sing with Lionel Richie,” she said.
Richie also autographed Koh’s Endless Love vinyl as a parting gift for her on the show.
He later tweeted a clip of Koh’s performance on his Twitter, saying he was glad to have crossed paths with her.
Koh first stepped into the spotlight in 2018 with her cover of Barrett Strong’s Money (That’s What I Want), which was used as the opening title and ending credits song in the romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians.
