Fritz Hager III performs on “American Idol.” The 22-year-old Tylerite’s parents, Fritz Hager Jr. and Sarina Hager, said their son was ‘cut out of a different mold,’ as he didn’t receive his musical talents from them and ‘wasn’t born with a guitar in his lap.’ It was Hager III’s dedication and persistence that led him to where he is today, now a top 7 contestant on the show.

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Judges were touched by another emotion-provoking performance by Fritz Hager III on “American Idol.”

The 21-year-old Tyler man performed “When the Party’s Over” by Billie Eilish on Sunday night’s episode where it was announced Hager received enough nationwide votes to be part of the Top 20. 

His performance, particularly a falsetto moment in the middle of the song, brought tears to the eyes of judges Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan and Katy Perry, who gave Hager a standing ovation.

“Now, Fritz, we’ve known each other a long time, right? And I know when I first met you, the last thing I ever thought about was crying. I am crying on Fritz!” Richie said. “That was a stellar performance from you. It was one of the most touching performances I’ve ever seen from you. Continue that.”

“Vote, America,” Richie added.

WATCH BELOW: HAGER PERFORMS ON SUNDAY NIGHT’S EPISODE

Hager said he sometimes is intimated by the “powerhouse” competitors around him, but he stays focused on the emotions he’s able to convey during a performance.

“I’m conveying a feeling, I’m trying to draw people in,” Hager said.

Bryan, who voted “no” for Hager to advance with a golden ticket at Hager’s initial audition in Austin, appears to believe in Hager’s talent and abilities at this point in the competition.

“… That falsetto moment, it could’ve been recorded for an album and sent out there for the world,” Bryan said. “It was just really perfectly done.”

Perry got choked up telling Hager how much he’s grown during the competition.

“This show is not just a competition. This is an opportunity for people to be like reborn, and I see that in you, and I don’t think you’ll ever be misunderstood again,” Perry said. “I think you see yourself, we see you, and the world sees you now, Fritz.”

Hager recently quit his job working as a security guard in downtown Tyler to pursue music, a move he said was encouraged by his dad, Fritz Hager Jr.

The younger Hager said in the past, his parents had always viewed his music career as “secondary.”

“Whenever I would talk about how I wanted to pursue music the conversation always ended on, ‘OK, but what are you actually gonna do?’ … Music is who I am and because they viewed my dreams as secondary, I felt like I was secondary. And then ‘Idol’ happened,” Hager said.

Hager said after his initial audition in Austin, he was able to fight for himself and say this is what he is meant to do.

“Ever since he was a little kid, he wanted to have this shot, and he took it and killed it,” Hager Jr. said after the Austin audition. 

Fritz Hager III said now, his parents have given him nothing but support and encouragement.

“Now instead of my parents holding me back, they’re pushing me forward,” Hager said.

Hager’s idol, Phillip Phillips who won the 11th season of the show, performed “Love Like That” right before Hager’s performance. 

“With Phillip up here, and then me actually being here, it’s a dream come true,” said Hager, as he thanked the crowd and America for its support.

Three contestants were eliminated on Sunday night’s episode, revealing the top 20 who received enough votes from America to secure a spot.

Hager must receive enough votes to advance to the top 14 which will be revealed on Monday night’s episode. Voting was open at 10 p.m. Sunday night and closed at 8 a.m. Monday morning.

Fourteen contestants will perform on an episode at 7 p.m. Monday night on ABC. Six will be eliminated. 

Tonight’s episode of “American Idol” will reveal the top 14 contestants. Six will be eliminated.

The episode airs at 7 p.m. Monday on ABC.

➔ Text contestant’s number to 21523 (Hager’s number is 23)

➔ Use the American Idol app

➔ Go to http://americanidol.com/vote

– Voting is now closed.