American Idol Alum Triston Harper, 16, Is Married and Expecting a Baby with Wife Paris Reed

American Idol alum Triston Harper is sharing some "big news" with his fans.

On Nov. 6, the 16-year-old country singer wrote on Facebook, "Iv got big news harpies," as he updated his relationship status on the platform to "married" and "with Paris Reed."

Just two days later came another surprise update. Harper's mom, Hattie Mae Sullivan, shared a Facebook post (which the singer reposted on his own page) featuring a photo of Harper holding a positive pregnancy test while posing with Reed, 17.

Sullivan wrote, "Now Everybody has congratulated me on Triston and Paris getting married but to me that is old news but now I’m bout to be a 'G Ma.' ” She added the hashtags #TeamPink, #TeamBlue and #BlessingsonBlessings.

Harper, who is from McIntosh, Ala., was a contestant on season 22 of the singing competition show, which aired Feb. 18 through May 19. He made it to the top five before being eliminated on the May 12 episode. Abi Carter ultimately was crowned the winner of the season.

When a then-15-year-old Harper auditioned for the show in front of judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie — performing Jason Isbell's "Cover Me Up" — he opened up about his difficult childhood.

"I grew up in a small town. I've been through a lot in my life," he told the trio, as an emotional video segment followed. While Harper sat outside his home in McIntosh, he told the camera, "I grew up right here, since I was born basically."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

"My mama wanted us to be something — that's why I got into music," he continued, before sharing some of the "ups and downs" he has experienced in his childhood. "By the age of 11, my mom was with my stepdad. He was getting very abusive. We had to leave McIntosh and then everything went sideways."

"The lowest part of my life is when me and my mom had got homeless and were sleeping on the sidewalk," he continued. "I had just turned 12."

Harper said he never imagined having the opportunity to share his story with millions on American Idol. "It makes me happy just thinking about it," he said in the video.

After he finished his audition performance, Harper received lots of applause and even a standing ovation from Perry and Richie. "Your voice — you got it," Richie, 75, told him. "Your voice is a storytelling voice.

"You were so authentic, so connected to yourself. Singing from your soul," Perry, 40, praised the up-and-coming singer, who released a new single — called "H.O.P.E." — after his appearance on the show.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.