Mother of 'American Idol' Contestant Missing

(Jan 27) – Viola Brown Martin, the mother of 28-year-old "American Idol" contestant Angela Martin, has been missing since the day after Christmas. Her car was found abandoned on New Year's Eve on Chicago's South Side. Did she meet with some tragic fate or has she purposely gone missing? No one knows for certain.

"We haven't stopped looking," Angela Martin told People magazine. "We've been out in the cold, and before I left to go to Hollywood, we were looking. I think what hurts us the most was they found her car but they didn't find her."

Glenwood police say Viola Martin was en route to a relative's house on the night she went missing. Her family reported her disappearance to police the following day. Sgt. Derek Peddycord was unavailable for comment today; however, earlier this week he told RadarOnline.com that investigators were "not 100 percent sure" that she did not go off on her own accord.

"There are some sensitive issues that I am not allowed to discuss," Peddycord told RadarOnline.com. "Out of respect for the family, they've asked me not to have too much contact with the media."

Angela Martin recently passed an audition and advanced to the next round of "American Idol" after she sang an awe-inspiring rendition of "Just Fine" by Mary J. Blige.

"It's people like you, singers like you, which is why I like doing this show," "American Idol" talent judge Simon Cowell told her.

Martin will compete in Hollywood to see if she has what it takes to become the next star of the show. Unfortunately, unlike other contestants, Martin has a lot on her mind as she prepares for the next round. This most recent incident with her mother is also not the first time that Martin's dream has been stolen from her.

In 2007, Martin made it to the Hollywood round, but left the competition when her father was murdered. A second opportunity the following year was also squashed when she had to leave the competition to take care of a traffic citation in court. Despite these issues and the one she is facing now, Martin says she is trying to keep her head in the game.

"Music heals my soul and it heals my heart and I tell everyone, I have a Band-Aid on my heart right now and I don't know if it is going to fall off soon, but it's keeping me whole and it's my music," she told People magazine.

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