Living a creative life means a lot of different things to different people.
For some, it can mean collaborating with others or just focusing on one small aspect of a craft. For others, it means doing your own interpretations of things that already exist, or having someone else write for you while you perform.
Finally, other people feel the need to do everything themselves from top to bottom. On shows like America’s Got Talent, many artists are trying to showcase their voices by using existing songs because it’s less of a creative risk.
In Joseph Allen’s audition, that was definitely not the case.
Allen is a 20-year-old who comes from a blended family.
Of all 12 in the family, Allen was the youngest—and he brought them all with him to his show! As he explains in behind the scenes clips, Allen has been so determined to achieve his goals from an early age.
One of the first big goals he achieved was to become a motocross racer, which he achieved. Beyond that, he taught himself how to produce and engineer music on his own, working on his own voice and his singing along the way.
With all of that practice, Allen was ready to take a big risk on the America’s Got Talent stage.
Before he walks onstage, he makes a deal with Terry Crews: if he gets the Golden Buzzer, Crews has to come out and pick him up!
Crews agrees immediately and Allen is ready to walk out and perform. As he talks to the judges, he explains that he’s going to perform an original song rather than a cover. After a little more talking with the judges, the music starts playing and he begins. Although Simon seems a little skeptical, everyone else in the crowd is excited.
When the first piano chords hit, Allen starts singing and his voice sounds so smooth!
Beyond his voice, the music and his confidence are definitely contagious.
After a moment, the beat changes and he starts rapping to the crowd! Before long, the whole crowd is on their feet clapping along with him. Even Simon has a huge smile on his face! After the verse is over, he sings the chorus once again and then collapses onto the stage crying, completely overcome with emotion.
When it’s all over, the whole crowd gives him a standing ovation!
Before long, the judges are all crying as well!
When they ask him why he’s crying, he tells everyone that he feels so blessed to be up there—all still with a huge smile on his face. Needless to say, few contestants have ever had such a positive effect on Simon Cowell before!
As the judges evaluate his performance, even Simon says that his energy was “astonishing.” When it’s finally Howie Mandel’s turn to speak, he tells Allen he admires his goal of leaving a “footprint”—and says that he’s going to leave a footprint of his own to help him get there.
With that, he stands on the judges table and stomps on the Golden Buzzer!
As all the confetti falls down, Terry Crews makes good on his promise and runs out to pick Allen up in the air!
While Allen is maybe not the best singer the show has ever seen, there’s no denying that he has talent, stage presence and some of the most positive energy we’ve ever seen on the show. It seems that it was definitely his energy which won the crowd over from the very beginning, and that same energy that won over the judges as well.
Congratulations to Joseph on a truly remarkable audition! Check out his full performance below:
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