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AGT

Page: 3

Trent Toney puts out fires for a living.
No, not like the IT support in your office. The 30-year-old from Hillsborough, Oregon, close to Portland, is a legit firefighter.

For his audition Tuesday night (July 11) on America’s Got Talent, Toney turned his hand to singing, songwriting and playing the keys.

His day job, however, was never far from the conversation. When Heidi Klum awkwardly asked why he didn’t present to the AGT nation in his firefighter outfit, he immediately put out that fire.

Toney told his backstory, specifically, his split from his wife Faith.

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“I think we were immature,” he explained, “we were both made a lot of mistakes. But I don’t think getting married to her was one of them.”

Does he want her back? Oh yes, that fire still burns. “Yesterday,” he remarked. “I’m still in love with her.” He proved it by performing an original song, written for his ex.

Matters took a different route when, before Toney could sing a note, the crowd bayed for him to call her. Which the judges obliged, dialing up Facetime. Faith took her time to pick up, but when she did, Klum handled the conversation and placed the phone on the judges’ desk, facing the stage.

After stifling some sniffles, Toney got going at the electronic keyboard for a performance of “Always and Lately,” a ballad that would sit nicely on most AC radio playlists.

The crowd loved it, the judges loved it.

“I think you’re so handsome, so lovely, you have the best smile, and a beautiful voice,” remarked Klum.“It was great, it was heartfelt, your voice is amazing you look amazing, it was the perfect audition,” added Sofia Vergara.

“I thought that was very brave, actually,” commented Simon Cowell. “I mean, to tell us all of that. I wouldn’t. I seriously wouldn’t. You know what, people I think are going to like you and I think you’ve got a really, really good voice. This is one of those auditions people are certainly going to about.”

Howie Mandel enthused, “You could feel the emotion in your voice, and I could tell just by looking at her and see how she was reacting to it, that was absolutely beautiful.”

It was four yeses from the judges.

Klum had the final word. As she congratulated the contestant with a hug, she quipped, “if this works out and you have a girl, it better be called Heide, okay.”

As for Faith, and whether the spark is still there, we’ll have to wait and see.

Watch below.

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America’s Got Talent season 5 winner Michael Grimm is officially in recovery, his wife Lucie Zolcerva-Grimm shared with fans in an update posted to Instagram on Saturday. Zolcerva-Grimm says the singer “is now in a recovery facility for physical therapy, speech therapy. His mind and body has disconnected so we are working on reconnecting that. […]

From TikTok to the America’s Got Talent stage. The Sharpe Family Singers — a New Jersey vocal group made up of mom and dad Ron and Barbra and their four kids, Samantha, Logan and twins Connor and Aidan — auditioned for AGT on Tuesday night, urging their 8.5 million TikTok followers and 1.6 million YouTube […]

Dani Kerr’s dream briefly became a nightmare when she auditioned on America’s Got Talent, before her stint on stage finishing like a fairytale.
During Tuesday night’s (June 20) episode, the 23-year-old from Statesville, North Carolina explained that she’d had a lifelong fascination with music, throwing herself into creating songs just six years ago.

When asked by judge Simon Cowell her thoughts on singer-songwriters’ place in the contemporary music industry, her answer was well-considered. “I feel like a lot of people have gotten away from being real humans in music and I’m just here to do that. And let people know we’re still human, we’re still us, plus it’s not all robots doing it.”

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Kerr is very much human, with all the frailties that bother many of us. Over the years, she’s faced several challenges, including homelessness during the last couple years of high school, and crippling stage fright.

Clearly displaying nerves before NBC’s cameras, she admitted she’d come a long way. “When I was little, I never thought I would have the courage to sing in front of one person,” she explained. “It’s so crazy to be here. It’s a dream come true.”

Not so fast.

Before reaching the chorus of her original number, the country hopeful was stopped by Cowell, his hand raised in the air. “Did you bring another song with you?”

As it turns out, yes. Yes she did. She hit another original, “November.” As she reached the end, the tears flowed, as the crowded roared its approval.

“You’re amazing,” Howie Mandel enthused. “You remind me of, like, a Stevie Nicks.”

“I hear a little Dolly (Parton), a little Miley (Cyrus),” Heidi Klum chimed in. “Thank-you so much for being here. You’re wonderful,” added Mandel.

“I love your songs,” remarked Cowell. “I think you’re a great writer. Authentic and importantly your voice is so distinctive. Not only distinctive but you have a beautiful voice. You have one of my favorite voices this year. I really like you.”

It was yeses all the way down the judges table.

Watch below.

When Terry Crews is feeling it, you can bet everyone feels it.
That happened during Tuesday night’s (June 20) edition of America’s Got Talent, when a collective from Los Angeles, going by the name of Freedom Singers, told their story and shared their talents.

The singers have lived in the impoverished side of Los Angeles, known as “Skid Row,” rubbing shoulders with the homeless and destitute. Performing together is just one way to lift the spirits.

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Its eight core members came together in the Arts and Culture department at the Los Angeles Community Action Network (LA CAN), an organization that exists to help the needy.

“Skid Row is in the heart of downtown Los Angeles where five people per day die on the streets, houseless people,” explained one of the male singers. “So, for us, Freedom Singing brings us close together; it is that medium that we’ve always used to come together as America.

And with that as the background, the singers launched into a gospel rendition of Red Hot Chili Peppers’ early ’90s hit “Under The Bridge,” an apt song from the California act about sleeping rough.

The performance inspired the entire audience, and all four judges, to stand and applaud. There were tears in the room, and on stage.

“You have a powerful voice, powerful message, it was beautiful, it gave me goosebumps, it made me emotional,” Heidi Klum enthused. “This was a great audition.”

Homelessness, noted Howie Mandel, “you have given it a voice, you have given us a purpose, and it’s a message. This was more than just a song, more than an audition, it was needed. Thank you for informing, entertaining and blowing the roof off this place.”

Sofia Vergara noted, “I think you guys are going to go very far in this competition.”

The performance, concluded Simon Cowell, “was brilliant, it was raw, it was real, I loved the vocals, I loved your chemistry, your friendship. This was a really special audition, I loved it.”

So too did AGT host Crews who, as he thanked the singers backstage, shed some tears.

For the record, the performance earned four yeses.

Watch below.

Drums appear across all cultures, a beat has been with us since each of us was in the womb. So why wait to get your hands on a pair of drumsticks?
That’s the idea behind the Atlanta Drum Academy, a youth percussion ensemble which made a real noise when they auditioned Tuesday night (June 13) for America’s Got Talent.

The Academy’s director James Riles, III, started it so little kids could get stuck in early and not wait for middle school to join the band.

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His group is a “safe space for all drummers, no matter their age, that want to learn to play the drums.”

One of those kids is eight-year-old band leader Chioma, a cheery lad from Georgia, with the self-belief that many of us older folks are sorely missing.

When asked backstage why choose AGT, he had the answer. “I had a dream that I was on America’s Got Talent, winning the golden buzzer, and now I’m just right here. I love this show.” The young lad is so determined, he even made a vision board with his mom. “I believe I can win.”

Chioma was so enthusiastic, he addressed the AGT judging panel without the use of his microphone. Small error, immediately corrected.

Leading the way with his marching drum, Chioma and the Atlanta Drum Academy beat their way into the hearts of the audience, and the judging panel, all of whom stood to their feet.

“It was fun, it was energetic, you guys are adorable,” enthused Howie Mandel. “I think everybody in this room loved you, I love you.”

“I love that you do something with your extra time outside of school instead of being on your computers,” remarked Heidi Klum. “You’re putting this amazing act together. I love that.”

“I haven’t seen anything like this before on this stage,” said Sofia Vergara. “I think you have a very big chance to win this competition because everyone is going to go crazy.”

“Well,” said Simon Cowell, “I didn’t like it,” a comment that earned a chorus of boos from the audience. “I absolutely loved it. Seriously what’s not to like. It’s so much fun and they’re so talented. This is one of my favorite, favorite auditions this year.”

Before the judges could tally their votes, host Terry Crews stepped in and took action. Golden Buzzer action. Some dreams do come true.

Watch below.

There are voices, and there’s Roland Abante’s voice.
The fisherman from the Philippines has netted a special gift, which he shared on Tuesday night’s (June 13) edition of America’s Got Talent.

Speaking through an interpreter, Abante explained that he caught fish in the morning, and was a courier and ride-share driver through the rest of the working day. The extent of his stage activity back home is singing karaoke.

Despite the enormous step up that is the AGT stage, Abante backed himself and impressed the heck out of everyone in the room. And judging by the booming number of clicks for performance video on YouTube, he’s making fans everywhere.

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When asked why he chose to compete in this 18th season of AGT, the tears flowed. “This is my big dream, to be here,” he said.

Abante can continue to dream.

Despite an impromptu, on-stage hug from Heidi Klum, and a lengthy pause, Abante held his nerve and let it shine with a full-throated performance of “When a Man Loves a Woman,” written by Calvin Lewis and Andrew Wright and originally recorded by Percy Sledge back in 1966.

Abante has got the blues, and a voice, that earned a standing ovation from all four judges. “I don’t think you could have done it better,” enthused Heidi Klum. “Mic drop. You left it all on the stage, you were amazing, you should be very proud of yourself.”

Sofia Vergara reckons a career change is coming. “I have a feeling you’ll going to have to stop fishing because this is where you need to be.”

After giving two thumbs up, Simon Cowell had a confession. “You were so nervous I genuinely thought for one moment you weren’t going to be able to do this. And then, that happened. And it made me love this audition even more. I really like you. That was a great audition. Really brilliant.”

Cowell copied Klum by giving the contestant a hug. “Everybody heard a life-changing moment,” Howie Mandel said of the performance.

And with that, the judging panel gave four yeses.

Watch below.

Mitch Rossell loves country music, he loves his dad even more.
The 35-year-old America’s Got Talent contestant stepped into the spotlight for the latest round of auditions, but did so without his much-loved father, who passed away years earlier when a drunk driver took his life. His grandfather and grandmother-in-law also perished in the “freak accident,” Rossell explained in his pre-recorded introduction.

A challenging few years followed. Sometime later, when clarity returned, Rossell decided he’d find a connection to his late dad by learning the guitar. “It was the only thing he ever really asked me to do. I felt like I was kinda making him proud.”

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Rossell’s performance Tuesday night (June 6) on AGT would’ve made his dad proud, too.

The East Tennessee native, now a father himself, performed an original song, a tearjerker, a personal story, a letter of love to his late dad.

When he strummed his final note, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room, or anyone left sitting in their seat.

“You wrote a beautiful song there,” Heidi Klum remarked. “I feel like everyone in this room was feeling everything you were singing.”

Added Howie Mandel, “the words and the emotion that you sing with, you know, as a father also, I have three kids and the world revolves around you. What a great sentiment, what beautiful words, such simple brilliance.”

Sofia Vergara chimed in, “That was spectacular, your voice was amazing, the song was amazing.”

Simon Cowell admitted he “loved every part of that” – the voice, song. “It was a compliment you could hear a pin drop during the entire performance. And it was sincere. I really really think people are going to connect with you, the song. This was a great audition. Brilliant.”

Rossell has worked with some of Nashville’s finest in recent years, and, earlier, confessed to the AGT judges that his ultimate dream was to “reach my potential. Playing stadiums or something. That’d be amazing.”

He can keep dreaming. Rossell scored four yeses from the judges and progresses in this 18th season.

Watch below.

It’s shaping up as a golden season of America’s Got Talent, if the early action is anything to go by.
As the second week of auditions rumbled on Tuesday night (June 6), armchair viewers everywhere were introduced to Putri Ariani, a gifted teenage singer from Indonesia. It wasn’t so much an introduction, but a lesson in pure talent.

The 17-year-old is blind, an obstacle she overcomes when she’s performing. “When I’m singing I feel like a superstar,” she said in the preamble.

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Putri chose the right reason, and the right time to make her first trip to America. “My dream is to become the biggest diva in the world, like Whitney Houston, and win a Grammy Award,” she told the audience. “I hope I can win America’s Got Talent so I can reach my dream.”

With her parents watching on in the wings, the youngster kept the dream alive with a performance of an original song. Playing the piano, Putri melted hearts with her ballad, which she balanced with perfect-pop tones, vocal maturity and unreal control.

As the crowd roared to its feet, Simon Cowell leapt from his chair, headed for the stage and introduced himself to Putri. At his request, “because he enjoyed Putri’s voice so much,” she performed a second song, “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word.” The contestant dedicated the Elton John and ‎Bernie Taupin classic to Cowell.

There could be no doubt: the kid has got it.

“My god,” is how Cowell summed it up. He spoke for everyone, as the crowd stood as one and applauded.

There were tears on stage, and off it, as Sofia Vergara remarked “we were all mesmerized by you. Your voice, you’re an angel.”

Howie Mandel followed up, “a lot of people don’t believe in angels, but I think one just landed on our stage. You’re a superstar.”

“You sounded so beautiful tonight,” remarked Heidi Klum.

As usual, Cowell saved his thoughts for last. “I think we’re all feeling the same thing,” he explained. “You’re 17, you write songs, you’ve got an amazing distinctive voice, and I mean really, really good. You have a kind of a glow about you.”

There was a glow coming from the rafters, too, as Cowell triggered the Golden Buzzer. It’s the second glittering prize in as many weeks, following South Africa’s Mzansi Youth Choir’s inspired tribute to the late AGT album, Nightbirde.

Watch Putri’s performance below.

America’s Got Talent has returned to our screens, and the tears have already begun flowing.The auditions are always a mixed bag. To paraphrase Forrest Gump, you never know what you’re going to get. With the Mzansi Youth Choir’s debut performance on the season 18 opener, we got something special. The choir from South Africa was inspired by the story of the late Jane “Nightbirde” Marczewski, a talented singer who shone on the 2021 AGT stage, and blew away judges with her own audition. On that occasion, Marczewski scored a golden buzzer with an original song, “It’s OK.” Following that performance, the singer revealed that she had a 2% chance of survival from cancer that had spread to her lungs, spine and liver. The video garnered millions of views on YouTube and her performance warranted a standing ovation from all four judges.Nightbirde exited AGT weeks later to focus on her health. Her story ended in tragedy, when Marczewski passed away in 2022, aged just 31. She’s gone, but not forgotten. And on Tuesday night (March 30), Mzansi Youth Choir ensured her music would live on, and her legacy would continue, by covering “It’s OK”. Hailing from Soweto, a township of Johannesburg, the choir was formed 20 years ago as a safe space for youngsters to develop and grow.

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Following the TV performance, tears. On stage, at the judging table and in living rooms around the world.

“For anyone who doesn’t know, we lost a very very special person from our AGT family. Her name was Jane. Her nickname was Nightbirde, and she sang this song,” Heidi Klum recapped for the audience. “It was really beautiful. Thank you.”

“That was the perfect AGT audition, remarked Sofia Vergara.

Howie Mandel was moved by what he heard and saw: “I’ll always remember Nightbirde. And to see that it touched people on the other side of the globe, unbelievable. You deserve so much more than a yes. And to be here, you deserve a thank-you.”Judge Simon Cowell wore his emotions for the world to see. “This brought back so many memories for me,” he said, trembling and wiping tears from his face. “I know how much this would have meant to her. Right to the end she was so passionate about sharing her music…you’ve come back here with the most amazing tribute. It was perfect.”The singers wouldn’t be denied. They earned the Golden Buzzer, and with it, a slice of history. Passage through the competition was awarded by the audience, a moment never seen before in AGT.

Watch below.