Going into Sunday night’s episode of “American Idol,” Alabama singers held two of 14 positions and faced a cut that would pare the field down to 12.

Good news for home-state fans: Both Triston Harper and Mia Matthews were among those who moved on to the next round, thanks to some judicious advice from none other than Gene Simmons and some bold performances.

The live episode required each of the 14 contenders to sing a song from an act inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, with some help from Simmons, the legendary Kiss bassist and singer.

It also provided an opportunity for this year’s inductees to be announced, and these included an artist with Alabama ties of his own, the late Jimmy Buffett.

Given Triston Harper’s affinity for the most classic of classic rock, it came as no surprise to see him choose a tune made famous by Elvis Presley. Mia Matthews, meanwhile, dared to tackle one turned into a hit by the trio of Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt.

Triston Harper

Gene Simmons’ take: “You’re here without your guitar,” said Simmons. “What’s that about?” Upon hearing that Harper planned to go on stage without his familiar acoustic guitar and cowboy hat, freeing himself up to show some moves, Simmons encouraged him. “My only comment is to be more physically you,” he urged the 15-year-old from McIntosh. “Because there’s nobody else who can be. It’s like your fingerprint.”

What Harper performed: The 15-year-old from McIntosh paid tribute to Elvis Presley with a performance of “Heartbreak Hotel.” He didn’t try to match Presley move for move, and that’s probably a good thing. But his fist-pumping, side-shimmying, hip-swiveling moves were on point. As always, his vocal confidence was far beyond his years and he looked pleased with himself at the end.

What Katy Perry said: “You get what you give. The people are already in love with you … You scared me and you scared your mother.”

What Luke Bryan said: “That was tremendous. It was perfectly done and there is no way America cannot fall in love with that performance.”

What Lionel Richie said: “Movement is your key. Congratulations.”

Mia Matthews

Gene Simmons’ take: “That’s kind of a cool guitar,” he said of Matthews’ purple Ibanez. Then he got down to brass tacks. “Mia is real country,” he said of the 19-year-old from Centre, Ala. “She’s authentic. But Mia needs to put more emotion into her face, because emotion is the wild card.” He told her that even slight expressions and gestures could have a big effect, and he was certainly impressed by her vocal delivery: “I couldn’t do that,” he said. “I make a lot of money. I’m kind of a big deal. I can’t sing as well as you can. Oh, I’m telling you the truth.”

What Matthews performed: “Those Memories of You,” a late ‘70s tune that became a Top 5 country hit in the late ‘80s after Parton, Harris and Ronstadt recorded it for their “Trio” album. True to Simmons’ advice, she put her whole face into it, pushing the emotion behind the words. The song gave her a chance to stretch out vocally too, and she did not fall short.

What Lionel Richie said: “Way to go, way to go Alabama. I don’t know what Gene is telling everybody, but everybody is coming out shining like a new penny. I am telling you, that was fantastic.”

What Katy Perry said: “Whatever you did, you bumped up your performance real good.”

What Luke Bryan said: “Way to just stay true to who you are. Iron sharpens Iron.”

The vote

The winners were announced in no particular order, per host Ryan Seacrest, but Matthews and Harper were among the first called forward. The two who didn’t make the night’s cut were Jordan Anthony and Nya. Host Ryan Seacrest said more than 19.9 million votes were cast during the episode.

What’s next

The 13th episode of the season, airing Monday night, will require the 12 remaining singers to tackle their favorite Billboard No. 1 hits, with some guidance from Meghan Trainor. At the end of the night, the Top 12 will become a Top 10. New episodes of the show air at 7 p.m. Sundays and Mondays on ABC; the day after they premiere, episodes begin streaming on Hulu.