During the auditions for America’s Got Talent, each judge is given the chance to hit the “golden buzzer” for a contestant they truly believe in. All golden buzzer acts get to move on directly to the live stage of the competition, no matter what the other judges have to say.
Past golden buzzer recipients have been comedian Drew Lynch, singer Grace VanderWaal, and ventriloquist/singer Darci Lynne Farmer.
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But the judges aren’t the only ones who get to press the golden buzzer during auditions. The host also gets to choose one golden buzzer act, and host Terry Crews’ pick is one he shares a personal connection to.
For those of you who didn’t know, Crews is from Flint, Michigan, which is located just a little over 60 miles from Detroit. So when Crews learned that the Detroit Youth Choir was coming to audition for AGT, he was surely thrilled.
The judges were instantly impressed by the choir and its director, Anthony White, who has directed the group for over 20 years.
Little did the judges know that they were about to witness one of the most inspiring performances in AGT history.
The group started off singing “Can’t Hold Us” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis in a traditional choir style before their performance took an energetic turn. The group broke out into a series of complicated dance moves, and featured soloists took turns rapping at the front of the stage.
They had the entire crowd and the judges on their feet by the time the performance was through. Everyone lavished them with praise, with Simon Cowell even saying they could win the show.
But before the judges could vote on whether or not they wanted to keep the choir on the show, Crews made his way on stage. With tears in his eyes, the show host delivered a passionate speech:
“Every young man and woman on this stage represents me and where I came from. I remember sitting at my window in Flint, Michigan, dreaming. I wanted to make it, I wanted to be here, an they’re here.”
Then, Crews made his way over to the judges’ table and pressed the golden buzzer, prompting an explosion of cheers from the audience and a wealth of tears from the choir.
You can watch the group’s outstanding performance and their emotional reaction to being chosen as Crews’ golden buzzer act by tuning in to the video below. Those kids’ lives will be forever changed because of this moment!