Young girl was just another face in the audience — until her voice made 'AGT' judges stop everything
11-year-old singer Madison Taylor Baez had quite a remarkable journey on 'America's Got Talent'! During a June 2022 episode of the NBC talent competition, Baez, originally from Yorba Linda, California, went from sitting in the audience to performing on the stage and surprising the judges with her powerful vocals. For the unversed, let us share with you that Baez was planted in the studio audience, and the judges had zero clue about it. Then, Baez was called up on the stage to sing during a commercial break, and she mesmerized the judges with her breathtaking a cappella rendition of the 'Amazing Grace.'
Howie Mandel was taken aback by Baez's performance, and he ended up turning in his chair. Around the same time, Simon Cowell walked into the room after hearing a few vocals of Baez. Soon after, Baez received a standing ovation from the crowd. Following that, Baez went to Cowell before hitting the stage. “We do ask people in the breaks if they’d like to sing a song, and I was literally just coming back in, and I heard this voice, thinking, ‘Who the hell is that?’ And then I see this little thing in the audience, and it’s you," Cowell said at that time, as per Today.
Shortly afterward, Baez stated that she is a huge fan of 'America's Got Talent.' While raving over the beloved talent show, Baez exclaimed, “I’ve been to many tapings, and ever since I was 4 years old, I would always try and sing for the commercial breaks. And it’s always been my dream to be on the show. And I’m finally here.” As Baez struggled to hold back her tears, Simon motivated her to sing her heart out. After her performance, Baez got another standing ovation, which made her pretty emotional.
Then, Cowell, who was in complete awe of Baez, went on to say, “I’m not kidding. In all the years we’ve ever done this, this has never actually happened before. I normally leave during the break because people do sing, so this is actually the opposite. It actually brought me back into the room." Elsewhere in the episode, Baez also revealed her plans if she won the grand prize of a whopping $1 million. With tears in her eyes, Baez quipped, “I would help my dad with cancer research. He's had stage four colon cancer for the past nine years."
Mandel was so impressed by Baez's vocals that he ended up hitting the coveted Golden Buzzer for the 11-year-old 'AGT' super fan, and she directly advanced to the Live Shows. While having a chat with People magazine, Mandel disclosed why he pressed the Golden Buzzer for Baez by saying, "My jaw hit the desk. I was surprised, I was entertained, and my heart is still gushing from that moment. There was something about that sound, that clarity, that strength, that made us turn our heads, and not only made us turn our heads, but just say, 'Wow.' Wow is what I felt, wow is what I heard, and wow is what I did. And I wasn't alone. The whole audience was chanting, 'Golden buzzer! Golden buzzer!' They really don't do that a lot unless they feel it. And I think that America's going to feel it."