“American Idol” Contestant’s Mom Is Missing

This is Angela Martin, and there’s no one I’m rooting for more on “American Idol.” This is her third year auditioning. The first time around, she made it to Hollywood—except that tragedy struck a week before when her father was murdered. The next year, she had to leave auditions for a court date for a traffic violation. This year, she got a unanimous vote through to Hollywood. But now another horrible thing has happened. The day after Christmas, Angela’s mom never showed up at her sister’s house. She’s been missing ever since, though her car was found in a wooded area of a Chicago suburb. This is Angela’s last year of eligibility for “Idol,” so she’s pushing through and competing anyway. “The mothers, the other contestants, everyone has really, really held me up,” she says. “Music heals my soul and it heals my heart and I tell everyone, I have a Band-Aid on my heart right now.” We hope her mom is found—alive. And that she makes it far in the competition. [People]