Carrie Underwood wiped tears from her eyes as she watched an American Idol hopeful’s audition with an emotional original ballad.

Slater Nalley, 17, a high school student from Atlanta, Georgia, captivated the panel of celebrity judges — which also includes Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan — with his rendition of “Traces Of You.” Nalley’s English teacher, Mrs. Davis, introduced him and shared the story behind the song.

“He wrote a song for my son that was killed 8 years ago,” Davis said. A tribute to Carter Davis (1999-2016) appeared on screen. “Slater had heard the story about my son, and I had written a poem. And the second year that I taught him, I asked, you know, ‘would you mind looking at the poem? I’d love to see, you know, what your thoughts are and how you turn a poem into a song.’ So he did. And two weeks later, he wrote the song, and that’s what he’s gonna sing today.”

Nalley said he’s “glad (the song has) helped so much. He said the song in Carter’s honor is “the most deep thing I’ve ever written about.” Nalley shared on American Idol that he and Carter never met; however, he felt a “presence come into my life” when Davis shared the story. Nalley got emotional as he spoke about writing “Traces Of You” in Carter’s memory.

“For Slater to not have known Carter and to write this song is just — it captured Carter. It captured ‘oh, there’s that person I wish was still in my life.’ (It captured) our faith that carries us, and it felt like there was light and hope in the middle of it, too,” Davis said as photos of the English teacher and her late son filled the screen.

Nalley said he’s “happy to…put a little joy in a dark place.” He began to play his guitar and perform “Traces Of You.” Throughout Nalley’s audition, the judges leaned in and listened intently. Underwood dabbed tears rolling down her face. When the song ended, Bryan reached an arm out to his fellow Idol judge and asked, “you OK over there?” Underwood replied, “I’m not! I’m not OK.”

“Even though this was about your son,” Underwood acknowledged Davis, before turning to Nalley “every single person that hears that can fill in that memory with somebody that’s in themselves. And I couldn’t have imagined you doing that any better.”

Richie and Bryan continued the praises, including when the Mind Of A Country Boy star advised the Georgia student to continue taking the stage “and singing with your heart, and the rest will take care of itself.”

“Sometimes we don’t have to vote,” Richie said. He, Underwood and Bryan unanimously told Nalley he’s going to Hollywood.

Underwood is making her debut as a judge in the upcoming season of American Idol 20 years after she won the show and launched her career in 2005. She’s joining Richie and Bryan after former judge Katy Perry’s departure. The 2005 Idol champ is also reuniting with longtime host Ryan Seacrest, who crowned Underwood the winner of the competition show’s fourth season. Jelly Roll is also joining Idol as the show’s first-ever “artist in residence.”

Underwood is hosting an exclusive digital series, Idol To Icon, which features her reflecting “on my own season while guiding our new hopefuls as a judge!” The series will premiere on Instagram and YouTube on Tuesday, March 4). Idol fans can catch a preview of the highly-anticipated season after the Oscars, which starts at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ABC on Sunday (March 2). The new season of American Idol is set for a two-hour season premiere one week later, on Sunday, March 9. The show airs on ABC and is available the following day on Hulu.

Kathi Yeager