Maggie Dunn’s Mother Breaks Her Silence: Heart-Wrenching Response to John Foster’s Poignant “Idol” Tribute Leaves Judges and Viewers in Tears—A Mother’s Words of Gratitude

LEFT: John Foster. RIGHT: Maggie Dunn’s Mother Erin Martin. (American Idol / YouTube)

Idol Contestant John Foster Plays Original Song

John Foster, a Louisiana native and LSU student studying to be an oncologist, recently made it to the top 14 on American Idol.

During his Top 20 performance, Foster took the opportunity to share an original song he wrote only days after his friend passed in 2022. The song is titled “Tell That Angel I Love Her.”

According to L&M Star Productions, Foster said,

“I wrote this for the two sweet angels that were tragically taken from us on New Year’s Eve. Maggie was one of my best friends and Caroline was a good friend of mine who I regret not knowing even more. Until we meet again. So much love to everyone.”

The song narrates a tale of someone who has lost a loved one and is pleading with God to convey their love for them. Some of the lyrics of the song are,
“Each tear that falls on my guitar

Is a hug from afar

Lord, won’t you tell that angel I love her?

As y’all live in the stars”
Watch his performance below. 

Maggie Dunn’s Mother Responds To John Foster’s Idol Performance

After Foster’s performance, he pointed to the audience where Maggie Dunn’s mother, Erin Martin, stood. With a glimmer of tears in her eyes, she raised her hands to her heart as she took in the moving moment.

Later, in an interview with WBRZ, Martin shared her reaction to the tearjerking performance. She said, “My heart just melted.”

Martin shared that the two became friends “in middle school.” She even shared a photo of Maggie Dunn attending Foster’s first “gig,” where he was wearing the same hat he wore during his idol tribute to the teen girl.

She continued on to say,
“For John Foster to make the song at all and then to perform it, it’s an example, a tangible example of the light and love that Maggie left behind.” 
Although Foster can not return Maggie Dunn to her mother, he was able to shine a light on her story. Now, Martin hopes that this attention will help save a future mother from experiencing her pain.

“For a minute, those millions of people were thinking about my child. My hope is that those people will see that and they’ll read more about her story. Maybe one of those people is someone who has the power to effect change when it comes to police pursuit policy.”

What Happened To Maggie Dunn And Caroline Gill?

Erin Martin is passionate about reformation in the police force because Maggie Dunn, 17, and Caroline Gill, 16, were killed by a police officer who ran a red light in pursuit of a fugitive.

Addis Police Officer David Cauthron ran a red light during a high-speed chase and collided with the teen’s car. The two girls passed away, and Maggie Dunn’s brother, Liam, was hospitalized but ultimately survived. The crash occurred on New Year’s Eve 2022.

According to WBRZ, 

“David Cauthron, 42, was sentenced to 32 years in prison, with 22 years suspended, after he ran a red light while chasing a suspect and crashed into a car, killing Brusly High students… WBRZ reported that Cauthron was driving 86 mph and never hit the brakes before the crash.”

This means that the police officer will serve 10 years in prison and then is required to “speak to law enforcement and schools about his actions to hopefully prevent something similar from happening in the future.”