“American Idol” tugged at our heartstrings in a big way during Sunday’s episode, concluding its auditions for Season 21 with an emotional performance by Oliver Steele of Tennessee.

Steele, the son of blues guitarist and singer-songwriter Toby Steele, covered Eric Clapton’s “Change the World” on the ABC reality series, singing to his father as the three celebrity judges took in the moment. Tears started flowing even before Toby Steele appeared during the audition, as Oliver revealed that his dad suffered a stroke that severely affected the left side of his body.

“He’s the reason I do what I do,” Oliver said. “He’s been through a lot. … Any time he would pick up a guitar, it was just kind of, it would make you stop and just melt away and just listen to what he was doing for a little while. It’s been hard because he can’t get around very well. … I just remember feeling very powerless. He’s part of the reason why I want to do this. This is for him, because he gave me everything. It doesn’t exist without him.”

Lionel Richie asked if Oliver’s dad was on scene for the auditions — of course he was — and Katy Perry requested that Oliver perform one of his father’s favorite songs. A bluesy rendition of “Change the World” fit the bill, inspiring tears from all concerned, as well as a sing-along prompted by the proud papa. (Watch Oliver Steele’s performance in the video below.)

“Dad, whatever you did, you don’t to have to do it ever again,” Richie said. “You passed it all to that boy right there. We are so happy to have you.”

Luke Bryan stood on the judges’ table to signal his approval, and Perry’s eyes glistened as she said, “It’s a yes from me.” All three judges gathered around father and son to confirm the result: “You’re going to Hollywood!”

Toby Steele presented his son with a golden ticket and proclaimed it “a pretty awesome moment — better than anything I ever did.” It was the final audition for this season of “Idol,” clearly meant to stick in the memory of TV viewers as the series moves into Hollywood Week. (Early episodes of “American Idol” are filmed in advance.)

Oliver Steele, 24, lives in Mount Juliet, Tenn., a suburb of Nashville. According to a report by Rutherford County Source, he auditioned for “Idol” a few times before, but never made it to the judges’ round. “Unlike his previous attempts to make it onto the show, ‘American Idol’ reached out to him to ask if he would come back one more time,” the report says.

Now Steele joins other singers for the next phase of the competition, a typically grueling week that involves sleepless nights and brutal eliminations. Two Alabama singers also made it to Hollywood during Season 21: Hannah Nicolaisen of Montgomery and Johnny Knox of Huntsville. They’ll be among a pool of singers — typically, between 100-200 hopefuls — who’ll be whittled down to a group of finalists during the rest of the season.

Alabama has a significant history on “American Idol” that includes wins by Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks in 2003 and 2006. The state also has produced two runners-up, Diana DeGarmo (2004) and Bo Bice (2005). More than 20 other contestants from Alabama have been featured during the auditions, Hollywood week and live performances.

Four singers from Alabama were among the contestants last year, and one of them, Kezia “Lady K” Istonia of Tuskegee, made it to the Top 10. Tristen Gressett of Pell City and Cadence Baker of the Shoals went as far as the Top 11 and Top 20, respectively. Tyler Allen of Mobile reached the Top 59, but was cut during Hollywood week during a round called “Showstopper/Final Judgment.”