Massapequa’s Jesse Findling Shoots For American Idol Top 14 With ‘God Bless The Broken Road’ Performance

LOS ANGELES, CA — Monday night was "Songs of Faith" night on ABC's "American Idol," a night that featured live performances from judges Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, and saw competitors including Massapequa's Jesse Findling earn spots in the competition's top 14.

Findling has been a standout on the competition singing show since his audition aired in January, impressing judges with his performances of hits by Adele, The Fray and Ed Sheeran. He kept that roll going Monday night, earning his spot in the top 14 after a performance of Rascal Flatts' "God Bless The Broken Road."

For long-time viewers of the show, the song may have sounded familiar: Underwod sang it in the late stages of her own "American Idol" run in 2005.

For Findling, life as a reality singing star in the making has come with a learning curve. Previously, Findling told Patch the experience still didn't feel real, noting that there was a sense of adrenaline when he thought of the prospect of a live performance. He got some extra practice with live performance just a couple of weeks ago, when he traveled back to his old high school to perform in front of his old classmates and teachers.

Monday night, that experience paid off.

"I made it into the Top 14! I'm so grateful for this moment," Findling said on social media Monday night. "Thank you all so much for the love and support."

Findling will surely be hoping that support continues next week, when American Idol's top 12 competitors perform a slate of 1990s hits picked for them by the trio of judges in an episode Disney has dubbed the "90s Judges’ Song Contest."