'American Idol' Hopeful's Mother Missing

Jan. 28, 2010 — -- Singer Angela Martin pursues her dream on "American Idol" in Hollywood, but her mind is never far from the nightmare unfolding at home in Glenwood, Ill.

The Martin's mother, Viola Brown Martin, 56, has been missing since Dec. 26, when she failed to show up at a relative's home.

It's not the first time the 28-year-old has endured family tragedy. Her father was brutally murdered two years ago when she was first trying out for "American Idol."

Her second run to become the "American Idol" ended prematurely, too, when she had to miss a show to appear in court for a traffic violation.

But Americans got another look at Martin Jan. 19, when the show aired an August audition in which she said she wanted a better life for her 10-year-old daughter, who lives with Rett syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder.

"I've seen a lot of dreams die, but I would never give up," Martin said on "Idol." "I can't give up until I touch my dream."

In her audition, Martin's strong rendition of Mary J. Blige's "Just Fine" earned her an anonymous pass to the next round and one step closer to her dream.

"It's people like you, singers like you, which is why I like doing this show," the notoriously vicious judge Simon Cowell said. "You're really talented, you need a break and you're just good."

An emotional Martin struggled to maintain control immediately after the audition and vowed that her third run at the "Idol" crown would end differently.

"[It will end], hopefully, with my daughter getting everything and me just to continue on doing what I do," she said.

Martin's mother went missing the day after Christmas, when she was supposed to visit Martin's sister's home, according to People.com. After the family filed a missing persons report, police found her car but no sign of Martin's mother.

"We haven't heard anything yet," Martin told People.com Tuesday. "The detectives have been calling my sisters and myself, and just keeping us informed. They say they are still just looking and asking us more questions, if we know anything. But her friends are calling us, so it's hard."

She said the car was found "abandoned in a forest preserve in the dark.

"We just want to know, what were you doing over there?" she said.