Crystal Lake Central grad Grace Kinstler advances to next round of 'American Idol'

Lakewood native Grace Kinstler got a golden ticket to advance to the next round of the hit TV show "American Idol" after her voice brought one judge to tears in the show's season premiere Sunday.

Kinstler, a 20-year-old graduate of Crystal Lake Central High School, said she was overjoyed when she heard that she would move on to the next round of the show in Hollywood, California.

"Getting a golden ticket gave me validation towards everything I've spent my life working towards; it let me know I'm on the right path in life," she said in a written statement Sunday.

Kinstler was the last contestant to appear Sunday before the show's judges: pop star Katy Perry, country singer Luke Bryan and singer-songwriter Lionel Richie.

"What a voice," Perry said after Kinstler finished her first song, "Midnight Train to Georgia" by Gladys Knight & the Pips.

Kinstler went on to sing a rendition of "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin that brought Bryan to tears.

"This is the first time in four years that someone singing has made me cry," Bryan said.

Perry said Kinstler's performance gave her "full body chills," and the audition invited comparisons to the likes of Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson.

Leading up to her audition in Sunday's episode, Kinstler said she struggled with nerves in the past and was using the memory of her father, who died unexpectedly in February of 2020, to stay confident.

"I just keep thinking about how much he believed in me and trying to believe that much in myself," she said. "I think he would be heartbroken if I just gave up because I got sad so this is like - it's hard but it's also extra motivation to keep going."

Kinstler said she felt like her dad was with her during the audition and she made him proud by earning a golden ticket from the judges.