Equipped with a Justin Bieber haircut, the American Idol hopeful tried out in St. Louis last night and explained how he attended a 152-student Lutheran middle school... before entering a much larger high school and getting bullied non-stop.
He considered dropping out, until a teacher overheard Reis singing in the hall one day and asked him to join choir. From there, he made friends and found a niche for himself.
The story, combined with Kloeckener's take on "Lean on Me," was too much for Steven Tyler. The singer/judge welled up and quickly gave this aspiring artist a Golden Ticket to Hollywood. See if you have the same reaction now:
Reis Kloeckener American Idol Audition
Among Kloeckener's strongest competitors in St. Louis? Johnny Keyser.
