'American Idol' contestant who cheated death 9 times in car crash makes Lionel Richie sob: Watch

Nothing could stop Elijah McCormack from getting his golden ticket on "American Idol" – not even several close encounters with death.

The long-running singing competition returned to ABC Sunday night with a contestant telling judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie that he had to miss trying out for the show back in 2019 after suffering a serious car accident that left him needing to relearn how to walk and talk.

McCormack, a 21-year-old ophthalmologist technician from Raeford, North Carolina, said he flatlined nine times after the fiery crash, which occurred hours after his graduation ceremony. Before the accident, his mother had signed him up to try out for "American Idol."

"The last thing I remember is dropping my friend off at her house, and I was only a mile away from home," McCormack said, adding he spent almost 80 days in the hospital and underwent about 10 procedures, including open heart surgery.

“His first question to me (after the accident) was, ‘Momma, can I still sing?’ " his mother said.

Elijah McCormack compared to late 'Idol' legend Willie Spence after stunning Rascal Flatts cover

McCormack can definitely still sing. He blew the judges away and brought Richie to tears with his rendition of "Bless the Broken Road" by Rascal Flatts.

Bryan and Richie said McCormack's voice immediately reminded them of another "Idol" legend: Willie Spence, who finished in second place on Season 19 and died in a car crash in October 2022.

“The last person that I saw approach singing like you was Willie Spence," Bryan said.

Richie added: "That’s what got me. You hit one of those notes, and I thought of Willie, and from then on I couldn’t recover."

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Richie also told McCormack that "God brought you back nine times for you to do something amazing."

"I'm so glad you’re here with us, and that was just one of the moments in my life I will never forget," he continued.

Perry assured the singer this is "the beginning of your story."

"I can’t believe you came to us," she said. "You’re just here fulfilling your destiny. This was always meant to be."

After McCormack earned his three yeses, Perry quipped: "He's top 10 for sure."

Katy Perry gets tough on 'accidental' 'American Idol' Sara Beth

Occasionally on "Idol," a judge will show a contestant tough love to get them to rise to their potential.

That's what Perry did during Sara Beth's audition, when the 25-year-old mother of three from California confessed she didn't know if singing professionally was her "dream."

"Literally, I'm still processing," the flustered contestant said. "I can't even answer. This is so much."

She sang "You Know I'm No Good" by Amy Winehouse, eliciting some coaching from Perry, who said, "Come on, we need more," during the song.

"That's not enough," Perry said, when the song finished, before telling her to try Elton John's "Bennie and the Jets."

"It's not her dream yet," Perry said. "Show us what your voice can do. Take it to the limit. No looking back. Sing it like it's your new dream."

Sara Beth gave it her all on the John song, showing off some raspy tones and a fierce belt. "I feel like I'm gonna pass out," she exclaimed after the song, taking a deep breath. The song got a standing ovation from Bryan.

"Accidental 'American Idol,'" Perry quipped. "Look, if it's not your dream, it's not going to go far, because I also respect everyone that's walking through that door who will lay down their life for this golden ticket," Perry continued.

Sara Beth got a no from Richie, but two yes votes from Bryan and Perry, sending her to Hollywood. But some "Idol" fans wrote on Twitter they though Perry was too hard on the young mom.

"I really do not like how Katy Perry just treated Sara Beth on #AmericanIdol," @EyezrStarry wrote. "They let Katy Perry bully this woman on live national tv before she even started singing. So ugly."

"A young mother following a dream while raising her children should be raised up not put down," @ceefreeski wrote.

"Katy Perry being the mean girl to Sara Beth," @LoveLundyReal wrote. "Come back down to reality."

Is Preston Duffee the next Luke Bryan? Katy Perry thinks so

Contestant Preston Duffee has also experienced hardship. The 21-year-old South Carolina resident told the judges about his mother's death by suicide which resulted in a period of homelessness for his family.

"Just because you’re suicidal or depressed doesn’t make you weak," Duffee said. "It jumps on people, and when it comes around you can’t help it."

He performed a vulnerable original song called "Something To Write About" which earned high praise from the judges. "Songwriting is a skill, and you nailed that," Richie said.

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Perry told Bryan to watch out: Duffee may be coming for his fans.

"I just feel like I’m looking at a young Luke Bryan,” she said, to which Duffee replied: "The ladies at church call me Luke."

"Man, you’ve got a really bright future as a songwriter, and your voice will grow and be stronger," Bryan said.

Duffee earned a golden ticket.

Olivia Soli hailed 'one of the best' by Luke Bryan after reinventing Lionel Richie's 'Hello'

On "Idol," it's always a risk to sing a judge's song – and it's an even bigger risk to completely rearrange it.

But that didn't stop Olivia Soli from taking Richie's iconic hit "Hello" and completely making it her own. The 20-year-old college student from Los Angeles earned rave reviews from the judges and got a standing ovation from Richie.

"I want to be the first in your long career to rush the artist," Richie said, before running up to give Soli a congratulatory hug. "When people say, 'I'm gonna sing your song,' please don’t sing it like us. Own it… You did it to perfection."

Bryan called Soli "one of the best I’ve seen," and Perry joked Richie may need to watch his back too.

"You put Lionel Richie out of a job, girl," she said. Soli earned a ticket to Hollywood.

Adin Boyer, contestant with autism, wows with original song and perfect pitch

For contestant Adin Boyer, music "has always been easy."

"It's the other things in life that are not," he said. During his audition, Boyer opened up about getting diagnosed with autism at age 2, around the time his parents also discovered he had perfect pitch.

Boyer said he can become "absolutely traumatized by sudden, loud noises" such as popping balloons or fire alarms; however, his gift of perfect pitch has helped him cope.

"I will put all of my focus on using my absolute pitch to identify the pitch of the sudden loud noise I just heard," he said.

Boyer put his smooth voice to use on his original song "Predicament," while expertly accompanying himself on the piano.

"I could listen to that all night," Richie marveled. "That was incredible."

Boyer left his audition with a golden ticket in hand.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'American Idol': Katy Perry criticized for tough words to a young mom