Mike Parker sheds tears by covering ‘American Idol’ mentor Jimmy Allen

Jimmy Allen was overwhelmed to see Mike Parker keep his legacy alive.

In the top 24 episodes of Sunday’s “American Idol,” the country’s star and mentor Parker was spotted covering his No. 1 hit “Best Shot” on stage in Hawaii.

Read more: Singer Mike Parker wazes American Idol judges with Cam’s ‘Burning House’ cover

“Her journey inspires millions of people to look like me,” the contestant said of Allen’s place in the music industry.

Parker actually chose Allen’s song for his top 24 performances even before he knew Allen himself would be the mentor for the episode.

“Will you sing that horrible song?” Allen joked when he found out which song Parker had chosen. “That song, I’m the first Black Country artist to start in the country and start my career with No. 1. You’re going to sing that song right now, bro, very enticing.”

After Parker told him that his career had been “life-changing” and that the opportunity to work with him was a “dream come true”, Allen cried, responding, “You’re telling me that I was reminded of my purpose as an inspiration.”

Read more: Jimmy Allen Delivers Emotional, Tearful Recognition Speech After Winning CMA Awards

Parker was clearly proud of his mentors and inspiration on stage, and Allen became emotional over the singer’s performance.

After the performance, Ryan turned to Secret Allen, who had tears in his eyes, “for what I mean to him is that what Charlie Pride means to me is more than I could ask for.”

“Thank you for not judging me!” Luke Perry told him later. “I can enjoy your birth as an artist.”

Katy Perry added, “This experience really helped you come … we don’t need to criticize you; we just need to congratulate you.”