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"I was told I couldn't have it all," Copeland told the judges during his audition. "So I chose idol. I don't know if I made the right decision or the wrong decision but I do know I made the best decision."
The 23-year-old was on a fellowship until he was given an ultimatum to stay in school for acting or sing.
He chose to sing, or sang rather, when he gave an energetic performance of Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" - and what a delivery it was.
"You don't need them, we need you" exclaimed judge Katy Perry at the end of Copeland's performance; and the buck didn't stop there.
"You might have lost the gift they were going to give you for your masters," said Judge Lionel Richie, "but the gift that you are going to give American Idol is going to be greater than anything you've ever imagined."
Copeland's golden pipes won him a Platinum Ticket, which means he gets to skip a week of auditions.
"I think you are worth all of the platinum," Perry concluded.
Click here to watch Jay's audition.
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