Of all the singing and performing shows that have been around, one that didn’t last as long in America is The X Factor.
The show was originally released in 2004 in the United Kingdom, as a follow-up to Pop Idol, which later became American Idol in the United States.
Eventually, The X Factor came over to the USA as well, though it eventually got rolled into America’s Got Talent and stopped being on the air. In other parts of the world, however, The X Factor remains a popular franchise with plenty of memorable performances on it over the years.
And the one in this clip is particularly remarkable.
The audition dates all the way back to 2009.
The contestant in question is Danyl Johnson, a 27-year-old teacher who was the very last contestant of the day! Though it goes without saying, having an audition at the very end of the day is a high-pressure slot for potential performers.
At that point in the day, the judges and producers are storming around in irritation that things had gone so badly that day. Regardless, Johnson was still so passionate about his talent and wanted to leave a mark.
With that said, he walks out onstage before the judges.
As he explains to the judges, he’s a teacher—but his school doesn’t know that he’s come to audition for the show.
With very little discussion, he sets right into an unusual performance of “With A Little Help From My Friends” by The Beatles.
As anyone who has heard the original knows, the melody is something of a slow march performed in a relative monotone. Fortunately, Johnson doesn’t follow that mold whatsoever—instead, he completely reinvents it by doing his own hard-rock inspired vocal over it.
From the very beginning, it’s clear that the audience and the judges have been thrown for a loop.
Although all the judges came in with a ton of reservations, it isn’t long before even Simon Cowell is cracking a big smile.
As the performance continues, Johnson gets more and more confident… and his personality shines through more and more. Towards the end, he hits some seriously high and powerful notes.
At a certain point, the entire audience is swaying their arms along with him. After that, Johnson walks up to the front of the stage and sits on it, singing directly to the judges. His energy is off the charts and before the song ends, the whole crowd is roaring.
When it’s finally over, he gets one of the biggest standing ovations the show has ever seen!
When it’s finally over, the judges give their feedback—and all of them are so thankful that he auditioned.
Even though the show that day had been disappointing, Johnson came in and turned it all around. He brought energy and originality to an old song and lit up the stage. As Cowell says himself, of all his time watching auditions, Johnson’s was the best one he’d ever seen!
With that, the whole crowd bursts into applause once again. When it’s all over, Johnson easily gets his four yeses! Even though the performance happened years ago, this is definitely one of the most memorable the show has ever seen.
Congratulations to Danyl Johnson on a truly amazing audition! Be sure to watch the full clip below:
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