Here’s an unusual question for you: at what age is it ok for you to give up on your dreams?
Although it’s a question that begs a certain answer, it’s an important one because many people don’t actually answer it correctly. Though we often have ideas of what we want to do or who we want to become, many of us let life get in the way of growing and changing towards those higher ideals. By the same token, we may be doing the right things but have the thought in the back of our mind that we’re too old, or that it’s “too late” to do what we really wanted to do.
Fortunately, performances like this one prove that all of those ideas are completely wrong.
The clip we’re talking about today comes from a performance on The X Factor from 2013.
As it begins, a beautiful afro-ed woman walks out to the middle of the stage to face the judges. She introduces herself as Lillie McCloud and when the judges ask her why she’s there, she has a simple reply for them: “I’m here to win.”
Needless to say, her confident answer raises eyebrows and sends a surge of energy through the audience! Before she performs, Simon asks McCloud how old she is.
When she tells everyone that she’s 54, the crowd can’t believe their ears!
After what’s definitely one of the more memorable intros we’ve seen in a while on the show, McCloud starts into her performance.
The song she chooses is “Alabaster Box” by CeCe Winans, a gospel song that has spiritual themes and a profound message. Although it’s an unusual choice, McCloud begins confidently with a raspy and slightly sensual tone.
From the very beginning, the audience members are cheering for her. As the performance continues, it slowly gets more and more powerful.
Gradually, the register gets higher and higher and the emotion swells along with it.
As she keeps going, her voice soars—and some of the judges seem on the verge of tears!
When the judges say that it’s important to pick the right song to connect with the audience, it’s clear that McCloud has done that perfectly here. By the very end of the song, the entire crowd is on their feet to give McCloud a standing ovation!
At least two of the judges have to wipe tears out of their eyes and the whole audience is moved.
Even though the crowd didn’t know the song she chose, the performance brought it to life.
Though everyone else loves her, even Simon Cowell tells her that her voice is “unbelievable!”
When the final votes are in, everyone gives her a yes and the crowd explodes with applause once again. Although McCloud clearly had all the talent in the world, her story still has plenty of lessons for the rest of us as well.
When she first walked out on stage, she believed in herself and seemed much younger than she actually was to the audience. By the end, the judges couldn’t believe that her talent remained undiscovered at 54 years old! Regardless, her drive and determination shows the answer to the question we started with: you should never give up on your dreams, no matter how hard the road ahead may be.
Congratulations to Lillie McCloud on such a memorable performance! Watch the full song in the link below:
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