American Idol Contestant's Mother Missing

An American Idol contestant's mother is missing, last seen the day after Christmas. Angela Martin hopes her participation on Idol will help in the search for her mom. INS

28-year-old American Idol contestant Angela Martin's powerful performance won her a ticket to Hollywood!

By her side during her big moment was her mom Viola. But now a cloud hangs over Angela's Idol dreams: her mother has vanished.

Chicago police say Viola Brown Martin was last seen on December 26th. Her car was later found abandoned in a remote Chicago suburb.

"My mother is a loving mom," Angela Martin says. She hopes her high profile performance on Idol will "really help" in the search.

Viola Martin has a past history of drug use but has been clean for seven years, her daughter says. A police spokesperson adds, "We are not 100 per cent sure that she is not off on her own accord."