Country-leaning American Idol contestant Christian Brown has dropped out the show’s press tour after his newborn son was diagnosed with a heart condition.
Brown’s son Isaiah was born just four days before he auditioned for the show and earned a Golden Ticket to Hollywood Week. The singer was eliminated during the Hollywood rounds, but he continued to promote his Idol season until he learned that Isaiah had been diagnosed with coarction of the aorta.
Now, Brown is scaling back his musical career for the time being as Isaiah recovers from life-saving surgery.
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“If I had a record deal sitting in front of my face and my son in the other hand, I’d choose my son anytime over anything,” the singer tells ABC affiliate WHAS11.
What Heart Condition is American Idol Contestant Christian Brown’s Son Battling?
- According to the Mayo Clinic, coarction of the aorta is a narrowing of the aorta — the body’s main artery — that’s usually present from birth.
- Symptoms in babies can include difficulties in feeding and breathing. The condition can cause fatal complications if left untreated.
- Surgery is often required to treat coarction of the aorta. Treatment is usually successful, but the affected person will need regular checkups of their heart health throughout their lifetime.
Who is Christian Brown?
Outside of his tenure on Idol, Brown is a Kentucky-based musical artist who’s got a strong connection to country music.
His father is country singer Marty Brown, who released three studio albums on MCA Records in the ’90s. His 1993 single “It Must Be the Rain” peaked at No. 74 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, marking his only charting single.
Marty Brown also wrote songs for artists like Trace Adkins and Brooks & Dunn. He co-wrote Tracy Byrd‘s hit single “I’m From the Country.”
What Was Christian Brown’s American Idol Audition Song?
Brown chose to sing “Wildest Dreams,” a song his dad wrote about parenthood. “It’s a song about how much you love somebody,” the young singer said during his audition. “I’m gonna be singing it for my dad. It’s my way of telling him I love him too.”
Brown’s father was present during his son’s audition. After he finished singing, Marty Brown emotionally clapped his hands and said, “That’s my boy!”
How is American Idol Contestant Christian Brown’s Son Doing Now?
WHAS 11 reports that Isaiah underwent surgery to correct his heart condition in Louisville, Ky.
They also report that Brown’s brother actually suffered the same condition as a child, and had surgery at the same hospital, when the singer was three years old.
“I remember being at the Ronald McDonald house in Lousiville,” Brown reflects. “Now we’re here with our son, and it’s this full-circle moment.”
Brown also says that while his musical dreams have been deferred, he’s not shelving them for good. The singer says he plans to return to Nashville later on for another, as-yet-unannounced, opportunity.
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