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What to Know About the “Perfect” 82nd Airborne Division All American Chorus
The 82nd Airborne Division All American Chorus had the crowd flying high during their upbeat performance, but the audition had a deeply personal meaning for the soldiers who took the stage on America's Got Talent.
They may have military precision, but the 82nd Airborne Division All American Chorus proved they can get down and groove with the best of them in a sneak peek of their America's Got Talent audition.
The soldiers, decked out in uniforms, appeared to be all business when they marched out onto the stage in perfect unison but after starting their audition with a military-style cadence they suddenly broke out into a show-stopping rendition of The Temptations’ “My Girl,” surprising the Judges and quickly endearing them to the crowd.
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“Yes!” Judge Heidi Klum could be heard exclaiming after the unexpected turn-around, as the audience erupted into cheers.
Who are the 82nd Airborne Division All American Chorus?
As the group’s spokesman Staff Sgt. Marcus Gilbert explained before their performance, the 82nd Airborne Division All American Chorus “hail from North Carolina” and “represent the 19,000 men and women that support and serve the Airborne Division."
“The All American Chorus embodies the hearts and souls of the paratroopers, past and present, for the 82nd Airborne Division,” the group’s website added. “Compiled from paratroopers from across the division, the chorus performs traditional cadences, Americana, and select vocal arrangements of popular tunes to uphold the tradition of the airborne legacy as the face of Americans Guard of Honor.”
The chorus prides itself on "telling the Army Story" to support the soldiers and their families.
As for AGT, the chorus didn’t try to camouflage their lofty goal.
“So, I’m really curious. Obviously, this is what you do full-time, so what’s the big dream then coming on the show?” Judge Simon Cowell asked.
“We’re here to win,” Gilbert quickly replied.
Winning wasn’t the only thing that brought them to the AGT stage. Their mission also had a much more personal tie for the group.
“We wanted to dedicate this performance,” Gilbert continued. “Last week, we lost one of our soldiers, Specialist Elijah Crawford, so we’re dedicating this performance to him and all of the soldiers that have passed before him.”
The patriotic message resonated with the crowd, who held up their hands in a heart shape, and the Judges.
“That is very respectful and I’m very sorry by the way,” Cowell said before adding, “We’re all rooting for you.”
What song did the 82nd Airborne Chorus sing?
After falling back into formation, the chorus began with a military cadence, a work song that is composed of a call and response.
“Here we go,” their spokesman called out.
“Here we go,” the group called back as they marched in place.
When the short cadence wrapped up, the group unexpectedly broke out into the pop culture favorite “My Girl,” originally made famous by The Temptations.
Cowell broke out into a smile as the group performed an upbeat a-capella version of the sunny hit.
The song even had Host Terry Crews dancing along as he watched from off-stage.
It was clear the crowd was flying high during the chorus’ rendition of the infectious Smokey Robinson tune, but their fate on AGT was left up in the air in the clip.
To find out whether the 82nd Airborne Division All American Chorus received the votes they need to continue in the competition, tune in to America’s Got Talent Tuesday at 8/7c on NBC. Following AGT you can watch Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge Tuesdays at 10/9c on NBC and next day on Peacock.
