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How Simon Heard About 9-Year-Old Journeyy Before His Shocking AGT Audition
The Judges always have their ear to the ground for new talent and that's just what they got with singer Jounreyy.
With a soulful voice that belies his young age, Journeyy joined the ranks of “cool kids” who are blowing away the Judges in Season 19 of America’s Got Talent. The musically gifted 9-year-old played piano and sang an original tune, flooring the audience with his emotional intensity and poetic lyrics. Surprisingly, Simon Cowell revealed that just a few days before the performance, he had heard of Journeyy. How did this shy Jersey City child — who admitted to a bit of stage fright before the show — get on the radar of AGT?
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As a Judge, you always need your ear to the ground, and Simon explained that his friends sometimes give him the best tips. This time, his good pal, LeRoy Clark, put the bug in his ear.
“Over the years with this show, friends will spot someone online, and they’ll say, you gotta see this person. A very good friend of mine, sitting over there, his name is Leroy. He said a couple of days ago, ‘You gotta see this video, ‘and it was you,’” Simon told the young performer on stage.
Turns out, great minds think alike, and AGT’s production team had already found Journeyy. The up-and-comer said he loves singing covers, and his version of Oceans by Hillsong United quickly racked up views and glowing praise when he recently posted it on TikTok.
What song did Journeyy Sing on America’s Got Talent?
After perfecting his style by singing covers for the past few years, Journeyy took the next step and performed an original song that he wrote himself, titled “Paradise.”
“I just didn’t expect that me recording videos at my house would lead to me being here right now. When I grow up, I want to be a pop singer,” he said in a backstage interview, adding that coming to Los Angeles for the audition was the first time he’d ever been on a plane.
The 9-year-old was nervous before the show, accepting a glass of water and a high-five from “favorite” Judge, Simon, before he began. But all that melted away as he struck the first note on the piano and sang:
You roll the dice
Now you’re on thin ice
Oh, here, the bugs don’t bite
Automatic lullabies
Purple clouds in the sky
Welcome to my paradise
What did the Judges say about Journeyy?
Cowell’s pals have impeccable taste, and the judges heaped huge praise on the young musical talent. “I love hearing people write their own material. It’s a glimpse into who you really are. And I really like you,” Cowell told Journeyy.
“Your parents must be super proud of you,” noted Heidi Klum. Meanwhile, Journeyy’s parents and sister stood in the wings, wiping tears away and nodding yes! “I’m proud of you. I hope you’re proud of yourself. Very well done, you have a beautiful voice,” she added.
Sophia Vergara did not hold back and stated, “I love you,” prompting a giant grin from Journeyy. “I think this season we have so many cool kids. Super cool kids, you’re one of them,” she enthused. Howie Mandell joked that he was once “nine years old for almost a year,” but his assessment of the performance was dead serious: “You are amazing,” he said.
Whenever Cowell says, “Things are gonna happen for you. I can feel it,” we wonder if he has a crystal ball hidden behind the Judge’s table because he’s pretty much right. “You are somebody who has a God-given talent. And it’s rare.”
Catch up on America's Got Talent on Peacock.
