John Foster’s soul-stirring American Idol performance HID devastating FAMILY tragedy—tears on live TV as heartbreaking truth behind his original song is finally REVEALED to stunned fans and judges

When John Foster took the stage with his emotional original ballad, few expected the weight it carried. The lyrics, haunting and raw, stopped the room cold. Judges wiped away tears. Fans sat in stunned silence. Then, in a moment that gripped the nation, Foster revealed the secret behind the song: a devastating personal loss that changed him forever. Why did he wait until live TV to share it? What pain was he carrying in silence all season?

Don’t miss the full story that’s shaking Idol fans to their core—see why this moment will never be forgotten.

John Foster not only performed an original song during the ‘American Idol’ finale, but he also released it officially

Screenshot of John Foster, Breanna Nix, and Jamal Roberts from the finale episode of ‘American Idol’ 2025 (Cover image source: YouTube | American Idol)

‘American Idol’ season 23 came to a close on May 18 with Jamal Roberts being crowned the winner. John Foster finished as the runner-up after delivering a heartfelt performance of John Denver’s ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’ and Toby Keith’s patriotic anthem ‘Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American).’ He also brought back his original song, ‘Tell That Angel I Love Her,’ a deeply personal track he first performed during the Top 20 round — and one that clearly still holds a special place in his heart.

When the Louisiana singer sang the song during his Top 20 performance, he visibly got teary-eyed at the end of the performance, as reported by TV Insider. When asked by Carrie Underwood what had happened, Foster explained the story behind the song, stating how the song is about his late friend Maggie Dunn, a high school cheerleader who passed away in a car accident in 2022. As reported by WAFB, Maggie was accompanied by her brother and her friend Caroline Gill. Both Caroline and Maggie succumbed to the injuries, while the brother who was riding in the backseat sustained serious injuries.

The song ‘Tell That Angel I Love Her’ was dedicated to Maggie, as the 18-year-old even says out loud at the end of his Top 20 performance, “I love you, Maggie.” Interestingly enough, the night of the finale was also the day Foster chose to release the song worldwide. It’s evident from his emotional performances how close the song is to Foster’s heart, as he even performed it in his hometown of Addis, Louisiana, in front of his supporters.

The song was beautifully sung as judges showered the young singer with praise. Underwood said, “There’s something so wonderfully throwback about your voice, about your style. I think it’s something that’s lacking in country music today, to be honest.” The former ‘Idol’ winner continued.

“We have a lot of outlaw country, we have a lot of new country, and I love that you keep it very traditional. I feel like that’s who you are. I love that in this song we get to hear a sweet, tender side of your voice that, honestly, I didn’t know you had.”

Luke Bryan shared the same sentiment as he first admitted to having different opinions on Foster: “You’ve kind of been a wildcard for me the whole time, but what you just did there removed all doubts in my mind that you deserve to be here.” Foster’s soulful rendition landed him a place in the top two. While the country singer couldn’t win the title of the show, he certainly did win a lot of hearts.