‘American Idol’ Hopeful Travis Orlando Goes From Homeless to Hollywood

When Travis Orlando walked into the 'American Idol' judging room, the trio of judges immediately recognized him from this past season. Travis had been denied a ticket to Hollywood during his prior audition, and he was out to prove himself more than ever when 'Idol' rolled into Pittsburgh, Penn.

After he delivered a very good but not great version of Stevie Wonder's 'Isn't She Lovely?,' Orlando began to break down at the notion that he might not make it through to the next round. Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler both felt that Orlando's vocal performance was lacking something, but that he definitely showed room for improvement. While the judges were left torn at first, his determination and moving story helped sway them in the right direction.

17-year-old Orlando began to break into one of the saddest stories we've ever heard, explaining how he dropped out of high school and that his mother left his father for another man. On top of this, his father is very sick and the family was recently evicted from their apartment, forcing Travis, his twin brother and their ailing father into a homeless shelter. On tonight's episode of 'American Idol,' Orlando wanted to prove something not only to himself, but to his mother who left him so heartbroken.

Ultimately, the judges decided to give Orlando another chance to really prove himself and to let go completely when he sings. Tyler said it best when he instructed Orlando to "jump out your shell, man," while J. Lo and Randy Jackson both explained that they had confidence in the teen. The next time we see this kid, he'll be competing in Hollywood! Good luck, Travis!

Watch Travis Orlando Perform 'Isn't She Lovely?' on 'American Idol'