More than 270 lives were lost when Air India flight 171 crashed in June 2025. One of those lives was First Officer Victor Benoit. His family, and the family of country singer John Foster, were left heartbroken. Foster, fresh off his American Idol journey, knew he had to honor his cousin. He stepped onto the Grand Ole Opry stage for a heavy reason.
Foster chose the song “Amazing Grace.” He sang every note with a deep sadness for his lost cousin. It was not a normal show. It was a goodbye. The performance was so full of feeling that it even brought American Idol judge Carrie Underwood to tears in the audience. His voice shared the grief of an entire family.
John Foster – Amazing Grace (La Grâce du Ciel)
The tribute quickly touched hearts far beyond the Opry. People online shared the performance, and it went viral. Viewers said they felt the loss right along with him. Many noted that this was not about fame. It was about a family mourning a terrible loss. The song connected everyone in that moment of sadness.
That “Amazing Grace” performance showed the world a family’s real pain. But in the first days after the crash, the story got messy. While Victor Benoit’s family was trying to understand the tragedy, social media fan pages started reporting the news. They were trying to connect the pilot to a celebrity, but they got it wrong.
John Foster fans react after he’s named runner-up on American Idol
This news is not true. Some pages on the internet were spreading rumors about a plane crash and saying that John Foster’s cousin died, but it is fake. They even said wrong things like his cousin was a basketball star’s relative. People shared it fast, which made it more confusing, but it’s all made up. John Foster did not lose a cousin in a crash, and the stories about him singing “Amazing Grace” for a relative are not real.
John Foster showed everyone his true self, not just as an American Idol runner-up, but as a person. He sings songs that feel real because they are about his life. His music carries honest feelings. Follow John Foster on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. You can watch his journey and hear a voice that always tells the truth.