By AUTUMN JOHNSON

Pleasanton teen Maddy Hudson is going to Hollywood, according to a video posted of her recent audition in San Francisco for this season's American Idol competition. The 16-year-old Foothill High student performed "Resentment" by Beyonce for judges Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick Jr. and Keith Urban.

"Auditioning was so surreal," Hudson told Patch via email. "The emotional connection that I have to that song had me in tears throughout the whole performance. Seeing their faces and seeing their reactions to the strong emotions that I was feeling only further enhanced the experience. I was grateful to have even gotten that far, so to then hear such nice comments, I was just blown away. Every moment with them was a gift. I am so blessed to have been given this opportunity. I wasn't nervous in that moment, I was just filled with raw emotion and love. It's not everyday that a person gets to achieve a dream that they've had for years, so I was in complete awe. I have relived those moments a million times over and each time I am more grateful to have had such a beautiful experience. I can't even begin to explain how wonderful it was."

Following the audition, Lopez told Hudson that she gave her "goosies" and said she was one of her favorites. Connick dishes the ultimate compliment to Hudson saying, "You have all of the ingredients to really be a superstar."



Hudson is well-known around Pleasanton as a popular street performer who gives Main Street a little musical style on the weekends. In 2014, Patch interviewed Hudson after she belted out belt out "Radioactive" for locals downtown on a Saturday morning. On that day, Hudson, who has been singing since she was 6-years-old, was working to earn money for college down the line.

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High School Junior Sings Songs on Main Street to Save For School "Maddy is a great source of pride for Foothill and all of Pleasanton," said Foothill High Principal Jason Krolikowski. "We are all rooting for her to succeed. Maddy performed at many school and district events and always brought the house down." Hudson's mother, Ashli Hudson, attended the auditions in San Francisco with her daughter. Hudson's audition, which is posted on YouTube, has already garnered over 23,000 views.