Pastor Todd Tilghman of Cornerstone Church in Meridian, Mississippi, gave Judge Kelly, Nick, and Blake an instant jerk a few seconds into his singing, that had three of them turn their chairs in a split second.
This is obviously attributed to his raspy, yet dynamic singing and the obvious joy and excitement that he hit his notes with.
The husband and father, says he and his wife, Brooke, have eight kids, two of whom are adopted.
Kelly Clarkson, John Legend and Nick Jonas gave Tilghman a standing ovation for his stellar performance.
Legend was the last judge to turn his chair around, but when he did, he says he saw “the joy and the spirit” Tilghman had.
“I’ve literally never performed,” Tilghman says. “I just sing at church.”
Legend smiled and said his grandfather was a pastor and his mother was a choir director. “I was in church Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, sometimes Friday night,” he said.
Jonas also related to Tilghman’s Christian background, saying that his dad was a pastor. Some of his fondest memories were singing worship songs with his dad at the piano.
“Do you know Phillips, Craig and Dean?” Jonas asked.
Instead of identifying with Tilghman’s faith, judge Blake Shelton complimented his “hop.”
“Well, I go to a Pentecostal church,” Tilghman replied. “So I’ve been working on my hop.”
Watch Tilghman’s performance and interview here.
