Damien Lawson: Rejected by American Idol, Loved by The Voice

Seven years ago Damien Lawson was rejected by American Idol. In 2007, he posted a video of the song he sang at the audition, "You Are So Beautiful To Me" which to date has received nearly 87,000 views on YouTube. The disappointment of not making it to Idol's first round provides some insight as to why Lawson was so emotional after his recent performance on the Voice.

Singing "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye to Yesterday" on the season premiere, he wowed the coaches, getting 3 of 4 votes within 15 seconds of the song. As Lawson cried audibly with his head and torso parallel to the floor, Gwen Stefani came on stage and consoled him. Pharrell Williams asked for the definition of his tears. Lawson pulled himself together and said, "I've just been told 'No' so many times, it just feels good to see you guys turn around for me," referring to The Voice's blind audition where the chairs turn and face the singer after a coach presses a big red button which lights up their "I Want You" (on my team) status.

Pharrell thoughtfully responded, "These moments happen in our lives as confirmation. When someone tells you 'No', it doesn't mean you stop. Look where you are right now. There is no more need in your life for feeling the pain for the definition of  'No,' because today should be 4 conformations of  'Yes.' Your voice is amazing and that's the reason why I pressed the button." All the other coaches agreed, as they took turns trying to win over Lawson to join their team. Ultimately, Lawson decided to go with Adam Levine. The Voice has given Damien Lawson a great platform to launch his career: access to an audience of 13 million and coaching from some of the best recording artists in the current market. We look forward to seeing how Lawson performs in the upcoming episodes.

Related Video: The Voice 2014 Blind Audition - Damien: "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday"