Take an inspiring personal story, mix it up with a great voice and a cute personality and you get Haeley Vaughn.

The 16-year old auditioned for American Idol in Denver this week and said she wants to be one of the only "black country pop" singers around.

She's off to a good start, as Vaughn impressed the judges with a rendition of Carrie Underwood's "Last Name." Watch the try-out, and learn more about the singer's premature birth and family tragedy, below.

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Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.