Boise’s Maddie Zahm Brings America to Tears in Idol Debut

I'm not crying. You're crying. 

I'll be honest, I tried really hard to stay up to watch American Idol last night, but this weekend was a real kick in the pants with me.  Saturday started with a Half Marathon, quick shower before going to the Ohio State/Gonzaga game at Taco Bell Arena and finally grabbing green beer with friends old and new in Downtown Boise. I slept a couple hours before getting up for my running club's 2nd Anniversary party on Sunday.  It's really no surprise that when I finally sat down on the couch, I was out cold in 15 minutes.

Nevertheless, I knew that the first thing I had to do this morning was track down Maddie Zahm's American Idol audition to watch before the show. Now I'm in the studio with mascara all over my face because she's got the sweetest back story and an amazing set of pipes on her.

In a video montage that shows Maddie singing in Downtown Boise and enjoying the view of the beautiful Owyhee Mountains from the Boise Depot, we learn that Maddie almost quit singing after being diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.  PCOS is a hormonal disorder that causes enlarged ovaries with cysts on the outer edges.  It's also been known to cause excess hair growth, acne and obesity in women who have it.  After her diagnosis at age 18, Maddie gained 100 pounds in a year and stopped performing because she was self conscious about her appearance.

But something changed when she started her career as a music therapist for kids with disabilities.  She was inspired to pursue the job because of an accident that lead her to meeting her best friend, Marcus, who lives with Down Syndrome. One day she walked into the wrong music class and that's where she met Marcus who was singing a Katy Perry song when Maddie walked into the room.  The class was actually a music class for kids with disabilities.

Six years later, they're still best friends and go for a drive around the Treasure Valley together every weekend.  He even came to support her at the Idol auditions.  Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan asked Maddie if Marcus would like to come join them for the audition and that's where the water works started...

If you didn't see the audition, check out the video in this post to see the incredibly sweet moment between Maddie and Marcus and find out if the Treasure Valley native is going to Hollywood!