When these four men walked on to the America’s Got Talent (AGT) stage, nobody expected them to perform a stunning a cappella rendition of a classic show tune.
Known as Linkin Bridge, the group is composed of Shon “China” Lacy, Montre Davis, Ekoe Alexandra, and Big Rome Kimbrough— four friends from the West End of Louisville, Kentucky. “Montre and I are cousins,” Shon Lacy explained in a pre-recorded interview. “We’ve known each other all our lives, and we met these two knuckleheads when we were like teenagers. But—” he notes, “we are like brothers. If you cross one of us, you’re going to have a problem.”
When Simon asks them why they entered the competition, Ekoe credits “big dreamer” Montre Davis for the idea, the man who initially brought the group together.
When it’s time for them to sing, Linkin Bridge surprises everyone when they start to belt out a beautiful, a capella rendition of “Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz.
For those who aren’t aware, “Over the Rainbow” is the song sung by Dorothy at the beginning of The Wizard of Oz when she’s dreaming of escaping her surroundings. Since then, Schmoop explains, it has “tapped into an enduring them: the desire of children— and maybe the desire of all people— to escape their surroundings and go to a fantastical place where they have great powers and great opportunities”. In the context of the AGT competition, it seems like an appropriate choice.
The men’s rendition of the classic song is unique— but incredible nonetheless.
With their rich voices, they speed up the song’s original beat, the Shon Lacy adds subtle beatboxing that truly helps makes the song their own. Big Roman seems to be a crowd favorite, adding soloistic elements in an unexpectedly angelic voice.
Afterward, Simon Cowell told them: “The first verse of the song was OK, but when you picked it up in the middle, it was sensational. You know what, this could be your time now.”
Linkin Bridge’s unforgettable audition was the first in a string of performances that led them to the series’ finals.
Although the grand prize ended up going to Grace Van der Waal, their stunning renditions of songs like “Free Bird”, “Always on My Mind”, and “7 Years” earned them a reputation as talented vocalists. If you’re interested in seeing them, the following video features all of their performances on the show.
Unbeknownst to many, Linkin Bridge got their first taste of fame back in 2015, when they went viral after being featured in a Christmas video by comedian Tom Mabe.
In it, the men knock on the doors of suburban houses, surprising the residents with a capella caroling performances. For anyone who’s interested, I’ve included it below:
After being on the show, Shon Lacy told Courier-Journal he was grateful for the experience:
“We’ve been able to be seen and heard by millions of people each time we are on stage… Most musicians never have this type of opportunity.”
Since being uploaded online, Linkin Bridge’s audition has been viewed over 4 million times.
Comments on the video read:
“If this doesn’t break stereotypes idk what will”
“wasn’t expecting this”
“They should have won over those other clowns”
“the note he hits at 2:40.. wow chills”
See it for yourself below!
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