Kamron Lawson is used to singing for customers during his shifts at a Walmart in West Virginia. Other staffers support his performances at the Beckley Crossing store, and shoppers seem pleased by Lawson’s talent.

“I love to sing at work,” Lawson says. “I’ll go to the bathroom and sing; I’ll stand at the registers and sing while I’m ringing people up.”

Singing on national television is another matter, however. When Lawson auditioned for “American Idol” in front of the three celebrity judges, he was nervous. And it definitely showed on Sunday, when Lawson appeared during an episode of the ABC reality series.

With sweat glistening on his forehead and an occasional hesitancy in his voice, Lawson covered a-ha’s “Take On Me” for the judges. When Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie praised his falsetto but said they found his performance too safe, Lawson summoned his courage and launched into the next tune on his list: “Truly,” a No. 1 hit for Richie in 1982. (Watch his performances in the video below.)

To ease Lawson’s jitters, Richie guided him through the ballad with gestures and words of encouragement. Richie even chimed in a time or two, nudging Lawson to stay on tempo or pitch.

Hearing “Truly” on “Idol” was a first for Alabama native Richie, who said he welcomed the experience. Richie also had a few words of constructive criticism for Lawson.

“Do you know, first of all, how hard that song is?” Richie said. “But I’m telling you, just the fact that you tried it. I don’t think anyone’s ever done that in front of me on television, I don’t think ever. You had moments of complete control, and you’ve got it. When you flip over to your falsetto, you’re not sure, then you go back to your … You follow me? Right now, I just think that you need to study that vocal delivery, just a little more.”

“You’ve got a great voice; you’ve got a great falsetto, one of the better falsettos we’ve heard,” Bryan said. “But I just think it’s confidence, man, gotta have more confidence and more owning the moment.”

Perry shifted the tone of the judge’s reactions, however, giving Lawson a supportive thumb’s up.

“I don’t know,” Perry chimed in. “I think if he got around other singers, he wouldn’t be so intimidated. Come on, look at us, we’re very intimidating! Lionel Richie, me, Luke Bryan, that’s a lot. … I haven’t rolled the dice a whole lot, but there’s something about you that is sparkling at me. And there’s something special about him; you know it when you look at him. There’s a light, there’s a love that he’s exuding. I’m gonna fight for him. It’s a yes from me.”

Richie thought for a moment and said, “Sometimes you just need experience. If you think you’re scared now, wait until you get on that plane and go to Hollywood. It’s a yes from me.”

Bryan kicked in with another “yes,” and Lawson was on his way to the next phase of the audition, grabbing a golden ticket.

The singer moves on to Hollywood Week, a typically grueling part of the competition that features sleepless nights and brutal cuts. One more audition episode is scheduled for “Idol” this season, airing on March 26, and the series will feature Hollywood Week on April 2-3.

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 200-300 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.”