Boy Who Sang for Pope Francis Performs for ABC News
— -- The boy who stunned the world last month when he sang for Pope Francis spoke out about the moving rendition and reprised the performance for ABC News.
Bobby Hill, 14, of Pennsylvania, told ABC News' David Muir that he was "a little nervous but I was more excited I would say" about singing Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Pie Jesu" for the pontiff during his visit to Philadelphia.
His choir director told him that they needed to fill a minute between The Fray and legend Aretha Franklin.
"Um, it’s kind of all a blur, but, I don’t remember exactly what he said, but he said, “You’re gonna be singing, and you’re gonna be singing “Pie Jesu” and, I’m like, “okay.” And, I was like, “Ok, cool,” Bobby remembered.
Afterwards, Bobby walked up to the pope and handed the pontiff a rock that the choir he performs with, the Keystone State Boychoir, picked up during a trip to Antarctica several years ago.
"I tell him that it’s from our choir...from Antarctica, and “We’d like you to have it, it’s the rock of Peter and then he asked if it was for him and he said, “Thank you,” he said.
The surprised pope asked "for me?" and gave him a rosary in return.
Bobby's dad, Jerrold, said that the gesture epitomized the giving nature of his son.
Bobby "always will give you the last of something he has. “Oh, you want the last one?” I’d say, “No, you like those. You have it.” “But, I want you to have it,” he told ABC News, choking up in the process. "Anyway, sorry. It’s the spirit that animates him. And I think he stays grounded because he knows that, uh, he’s just Bobby."
Bobby said that he has been recognized after his show-stopping performance.
"They’re like, “Are you that kid that sang for the Pope?” And they’ll ask for a selfie or something like that," he said.
The teen, recognized as Person of the Week on "World News Tonight," said that he'd like a career in music one day.
"Yeah, that’s really my dream," he said.
