An Emotional Performance for David Cook

Last night’s live broadcast of American Idol was emotional for all the contestants, but certainly no more so than for finalist David Cook, whose ill brother Adam flew in to see the show.

Adam, who is battling brain cancer, beamed with pride as he sat with other family members in the front row of the audience. Despite his current condition, Adam was in very high spirits as David and the six other hopefuls did their best to get through the Mariah Carey-mentored episode.

Lucky for him, Adam couldn't have picked a better evening to check out his rock star brother, whose reworked version of Mariah’s "Always Be My Baby" had the judges singing his praises once more. Even acid-tongued Simon Cowell called David's performance, "original... daring; a breath of fresh air." Beaming with pride and applauding victoriously, Adam was among the first to rise to their feet — and the last to sit — for the post-song standing ovation.

All this appeared to be overwhelming for David, as he broke down in tears on stage. Once the show cut away for a commercial break, he raced over to Adam to give his brother a huge, lingering hug while the teary-eyed audience applauded. The moving scene even had Simon, who chatted with Adam during the break, choked up.

To find out if David's moving moment will be his last on American Idol, tune in to the live results show, Wednesday night on Fox.