16-Year-Old Freezes During Audition But Returns With Whitney Houston Ballad

During an audition on The X Factor, a 16-year-old freezes up while singing a Whitney Houston ballad. But she regains her confidence and returns to sing the song while impressing the judges and audience.

Before the audition starts, Tamera Foster is seen sitting with her family. “I have never seen that many people in my life,” she says. “Just pretend they’re not there. Just sing like you’re at home,” her mother says as she tries to ease her nerves.

“The only performances I’ve ever done are in school assemblies,” Tamera explains. “I think the maximum that I’ve performed in front of is 40 people.”

It’s clear that Tamera is nervous, and who wouldn’t be? Singing in front of all those people including the judges would be an intimidating experience to say the least.

Once Tamera is on stage, she starts singing ‘I Have Nothing’ by Whitney Houston. She only gets about five words of the song out before she freezes up. The audience is cheering her on, and one of the judges motion for her to continue. But Tamera just cannot seem to get another note out.

Her family starts shouting words of encouragement from off stage in hopes that Tamera will continue with the song.

“Can I have two seconds please?,” she asks the judges.

The judges realize that Tamera has forgotten the words to the song. In order to save her audition, she quickly goes off stage to ask her family to help refresh her on the lyrics.

After talking with her family, she gets back on stage, clearly shaken by what has just happened, but knows that the show must go on! She proceeds with her audition and starts the song from the top. Although she misses a few words throughout the song, she keeps pushing through. Tamera eventually ends up gaining her confidence again and blows everyone away with the rest of the audition.

Once the audition was over, the judges had some words to share. “Tamera, it was by no means perfect, but what we see here right now is potential beyond belief,” shares one of the judges. “That was captivating and mesmerizing.”

All of the judges end up saying yes to her, and Tamera runs off stage to celebrate the victory with an embrace from her family.