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11-yr-old ‘AGT’ violinist bullied for having cancer breaks down after receiving well-deserved Golden Buzzer

Contestant's heartbreaking experience with bullying and smashing performance left the 'AGT' judges in awe – 'extraordinary young man'

This 11-year-old ‘AGT’ contestant found his light during the darkest times, and his story left millions inspired that night! Tyler Butler-Figueroa came to audition for the talent show in season 14, holding a violin. The kid revealed that he was bullied in school for having cancer, and that playing piano, became his solace. Tyler, who started playing the instrument at the age of seven, revealed that he almost died of cancer. “They used to make fun of me and laugh at me because I was different,” the young prodigy said. “They would spread rumors to say that my cancer was contagious and they all wanted to stay away from me,” he added.

In the introductory video, Tyler’s mom revealed that the 7-year-old boy saw a poster in his school that advertised free after-school violin lessons. “I just didn’t want to be the kid with cancer. So, now I’m the kid who plays the violin,” he added. He played the instrument to ‘Stronger’ by Kelly Clarkson, and the judges were shocked by his flawless performance. Simon Cowell had his eyes wide open most of the performance, while his fellow judges, Julianne Hough and Gabrielle Union, gave a mid-performance standing ovation.

“Wow, wow, wow,” Cowell exclaimed after the performance. “How are you feeling now?” he asked the contestant. “I’m feeling really proud of myself,” the young boy replied, leaving everyone emotional. “You are an extraordinary young man,” Cowell said. “We hear too many stories about people being bullied, but I can tell you one thing, most people are bullied because they are better than the people who bully them,” he added as the crowd cheered. The judge decided to respond to Tyler’s bullies on his behalf, and what he did next was a surprise! He got up from his chair and slammed on the Golden Buzzer without a second thought.

Tyler couldn’t hold back his tears as he got drenched in the golden confetti that fell on stage. His mother, Cowell, and host Terry Crews all came on stage to hug and cheer for Tyler. “How amazing are you?” the judge asked as he approached to hug the young contestant. From musical flair to the song choice, everything about Tyler’s performance was pitch-perfect. So much so that Kelly Clarkson herself approved of the performance. Clarkson took to X (formerly Twitter) to express how much Tyler’s performance had moved her. “I can’t breathe. I’m crying so hard. Tyler, I hope we get the chance to perform together one day!” she wrote.

“I started playing violin when I was a kid, too! It’s the first instrument that introduced me to being a part of music and not just listening. #loveyou,” she added. Tyler was diagnosed with leukemia when he was 4 years old and had been bullied for losing his hair during chemotherapy, as per PEOPLE. During his audition, he had been in remission for almost four years. Speaking to the outlet, Tyler shared one of his major goals in life. “I hope to be an inspiration to many children,” the young star declared.