As anybody who watches America’s Got Talent knows, there have been some truly incredible performances on it over the years.
Depending on when you tune in, you’re liable to see incredible acrobats, interesting visual artists or even moving dance performances. Ultimately, the bread and butter of the show and other shows like it are singers and songwriters who grace the stage.
On many of these musical competition shows, one of the goals is to find performers who seem polished and ready to become pop stars in their own right. On the other hand, sometimes underdog performers also have a chance to shine.
That was definitely the case for the talented Kodi Lee on AGT’s 2019 season.
For anybody who doesn’t know, Lee first stunned the world in the audition round.
As he walked out onstage for the first time, he was accompanied by his mom. When he introduced himself to the judges, he told them his name and explained that he was both blind and autistic.
He also told everyone he’d be singing and playing piano to “A Song For You” by Donny Hathaway.
Although the crowd had great expectations for Lee, his performance was so moving that it went enormously viral, with some 43 million views on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDPdRYF7hTQ
Needless to say, the audition was so strong that it earned him the Golden Buzzer!
Because of that initial performance, Lee continued on the show and was asked to perform yet again on the live show to see if he could recapture the magic he had in the auditions.
Once again, his mom was onstage with him to give him a short pep talk as he sat behind the piano onstage. After a few moments of silence, he grounded himself and got ready to sing. After taking a breath, he played the first notes.
The song he chose to perform was “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon and Garfunkel—and once again, it was incredible.
From the very first iconic notes, it’s clear that Lee’s performance is going to be something special.
Although he stays largely in tune with the old song, his version of it adds a layer of hesitancy and shakiness to the smooth vocals of the original.
The song slowly builds as he approaches the chorus before gradually opening up as he sings the recognizable lyrics. Slowly but surely, his piano playing gets more confident and louder as well.
About halfway through the song, Lee takes everything up a notch.
Though he stayed faithful to the original for the first half, Lee lets his voice fly free in the tail end.
Though he plays with restraint the whole time, he sings a huge note at the very end to bring the audience to their feet—but they’re already clapping well before he’s finished singing! When the song is over, the judges give their feedback.
For her part, judge Gabrielle Union in tears, saying that Lee is blowing past boundaries and inspiring people all over the nation. When it’s time for judge Simon Cowell to speak, he tells Lee that the entire show is nothing without the luminous talents of people like Lee (as well as the audience who has shared his performances around the world).
Above all, Lee’s follow-up performance was just as incredible as the first! Be sure to watch the full thing in the clip below:
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