'Honor of a lifetime': Singer who wowed pope in Philly reacts to news of death

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- In the wake of his passing, many people are remembering when Pope Francis visited Philadelphia in 2015.

MORE | Remembering Pope Francis' visit to the United States

Bobby Hill remembers this once-in-a-lifetime performance. Just minutes before appearing on stage, his choir director told the then 14-year-old that he would be singing solo for the pope.

He gifted the pope, the rock of Peter, and the pope gave him a rosary.

A 14-year-old teen stood out among the star-studded performances Saturday during the Festival of Families.

Hill says the experience was life-changing.

"Him and that concert and that visit, it completely shifted the course of my life, and it was the honor of a lifetime," he told Action News.

Hill, who was a soprano and is now a tenor, is a senior at Yale University, majoring in music.