During the 2nd episode for season 12 of American Idol last night the show finally unveiled a contestant that was able to take the spotlight away from feuding Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj.
21-year-old Lazaro Arbos, who emigrated to America from Cuba when he was 10, lives with a severe stutter. When asked by Mariah Carey about his speech disorder the Naples, Florida resident said coping was like a “rollercoaster.”
Idol had an introductory piece on Arbos during which his parents explained that his problems with stuttering began at age 6 and only seemed to digress after coming to the U.S.. Through tears, Lazaro stated that because of his speech disorder he stayed home often and didn’t have any friends growing up.
His dad explained that without music, he felt like his son would probably be lost.
Here’s Lazaro’s stand-out audition performance of “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Notice that while announcing what song he was going to perform, Mariah completed Arbos’ sentence for him while Nicki just looked disinterested and bored. Come on girls, step up your game!
America’s Got Talent recently had a performer who made headlines when he was seemingly able to do the same as Arbos. Things broke bad for Tim Poe, however, after his story of being a wounded vet was exposed to be lies.
Here are some additional images of Arbos for all you new-found fans out there:
