‘American Idol’ Winner Hannah Harper Had Judges in Awe From the Start—See the Emotional Audition

After an emotionally-charged performance of her original song, “String Cheese,” moved judge Carrie Underwood to tears, Hannah Harper’s American Idol win seemed practically guaranteed. Not only did her beautiful voice and raw emotions earn a few tears from Underwood and the other judges, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, but it garnered millions of views on social media.

“I’m a puddle right now,” Harper shared just after her historic win. “All the sacrifices have been made [by my family] to make this happen. Had it not been for my husband … that poor man has sacrificed his entire life.”

Now, as the winner of American Idol Season 24, Hannah Harper’s life is about to change. Learn more about the show’s winner and the original song that left the audition room in awe.

Who is Hannah Harper?

Before she was the winner of American Idol‘s 24th season, Hannah Harper was a stay-at-home mom to her three sons living with her husband, Devon, in Willow Springs, Missouri. The two married in 2018 and welcomed their first child a year later in 2019, followed by their second and third.

The 25-year-old went into the show as a singer-songwriter, working on mix of country, bluegrass and Americana music. But music is not a new passion of hers. Harper has been on a musical journey for most of her life. She began singing at age 9 and she grew up in a family bluegrass gospel band called The Harper Collective.

Not only was Harper’s win emotional and well-deserved but it also made history. The singer is the first female country artist to win the show since judge Carrie Underwood in 2005. Underwood often shared how she felt Harper reminded her of herself while she was a contestant.

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About ‘String Cheese’

The singer stuck with her passion for singing and songwriting over the years, even after becoming a young mom at age 19. Then, after the birth of her third child, Harper began experiencing postpartum depression, which led her to write the now viral song, “String Cheese.”

Harper performed the song at her first audition for American Idol and the performance.

Harper opened up about her struggles during her audition and shared the emotional moment that inspired her to write the song. Not only did Underwood empathize with Harper but so did the rest of the world.

“I was sitting on my couch wallowing, and you have boys, you know. Everybody wants to touch you, and I didn’t want to be touched,” Harper explained. “And my youngest son, I was just having a pity party, praying that the Lord would calm my spirit, and my son kept coming up to me. He said, ‘Mom, open this. Open my cheese.’ I’m like, ‘Leave me alone with the doggone cheese.’ And I finally opened his cheese, and when I did I realized God had put me in that place.”

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The moment was a turning point for Harper. She was able to write a viral song but she also, as Harper stated, “kicked the postpartum depression in the butt, and I said, ‘I ain’t doing it.'” Harper performed the song once more during the live finale of American Idol ahead of her win. See that performance here.

Harper shared how it felt to know her song was relatable after it gained significant popularity on social media.

Harper explained, “Knowing that I could connect with other women who were feeling the same as me–women and men, really–that meant everything to me.”