Twenty-three-year-old Gilberto Rivera from Miami was waiting in the audition room before the judges even arrived. The charming showman was invited to sit behind the judging desk by Luke Bryan. The eager hopeful literally convinced Lionel Richie to sing “Hello” as an ‘audition,’ but to his surprise, Giberto replied with a duet that left his jaw on the flaw. Lionel explained, “You just fractured me completely,” before the artist took to his energetic audition of the Tina Turner hit “Proud Mary.”
The superstar-in-the-making donning bright red above the knee boots blew the judges away with a catchy performance that they couldn’t help but join in on. Katy cried out in encouragement, “Work for it. Come on. Give it all you’ve got. Leave it on the floor!” Lionel had to pause to respond to his watch, which thought he was having an emergency thanks to the rapid rise in heart rate from the fun of this fast-paced song. Despite a brilliant showing, Lionel gave a no, while Luke and Katy sent Gilberto to Hollywood.
Gilberto Rivera is a true artist if ever one was seen. The upcoming star decided on Tina Turner’s “Proud Mary” and delivered with every word. From showmanship that conveys instant likeability to a very big voice which he promises to let loose even more as he lets the stage persona down – this is a singer who’s off to a fantastic start on American Idol.
https://youtu.be/3RwRnWL2pFY
