'American Idol' contestant's powerful performance after revealing parents don't accept his sexuality
"American Idol" contestant Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon delivered a powerful cover of Fleetwood Mac's famous '70s hit "Landslide" on Sunday night's episode.
The meaning behind his performance perhaps made it even more moving.
Harmon, 26, who was working as a janitor at his father's church before coming on the show, spoke about how his family isn't the most accepting of his sexuality.
"It has been a really difficult past few months for me," he said during the episode. "My parents still have not been able to accept me being gay. I'm no longer working as a janitor at my dad's church. I decided to move out and that was a difficult choice to make. I felt like it was the healthiest thing for me to do."
"Being a part of this show has been good for me in one way, but it has also been a big challenge for me," he added. "I'm just being very public about my story and it's causing a lot of change in my life right now."
He shared that he wanted to instill hope in others by sharing his story.
"I'm doing this for everyone who has been outcast by their loved ones," he said. "I know that this isn't just my experience, and if I can be open about it and vulnerable, maybe that could bring hope to somebody else."
"I've just got to keep telling myself that I can do this," he added. He also admitted it was difficult not having his parents there for his performance.
"I wish they were here," he said. "I wish my whole family were here."
Harmon described the performance as possibly "the most nerve racking performance of my life," in a tweet.
"American Idol" judge Katy Perry shared her support for Harmon on Twitter. "That was a beautiful, vulnerable, real performance @jlloydharmon and we now realize how difficult that was for you," she wrote. "I see you, love you, and accept you, and am excited to keep championing you!"
Perry also shared how she could relate to the contestant, during the episode.
"You're a pastor's kid. I'm a pastor's kid. We have a lot in common," Perry said to him. "I don't know about you, but for me I was always being watched -- and was I going to make a mistake -- and then I started to find my true voice."
"Can you imagine when my first single was 'I Kissed a Girl' and my parents -- how they reacted?" she continued. "It was difficult for me because I felt very alone in what is supposed to be a really exciting time in my life."
She explained where she currently stands with her family. "It's taken some time, but we've all come around to agree to disagree," she said. "I just want to say from one pastor's kid to another that I see you, and I love you and I accept you."
"I'm so proud of you," she added. "I'm just excited that you're going to continue the journey with us to the top 20!"
It appears Harmon and his father have connected despite their differences, as he recently shared a photo of them together. "I am here for you and you for me NO MATTER WHAT. Love you Dad," he wrote.
Tune in on Monday night at 8 p.m. ET on ABC to see the top 20 contestants perform for a live audience at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles.
