Nervous 14-year-old 'AGT' singer had the judges staring in disbelief when he hit the first note
Performing on 'America's Got Talent' is no easy feat; after all, it is the 'biggest stage in the world'. While most of the contestants who do step on stage bring with them a lot of zeal and passion, more often than not, there are also people who, despite being very talented, are very nervous to be on stage. Reid Wilson, a 14-year-old teenager from Alabama, was one such individual. He was visibly anxious, as you could see his legs shaking on stage as he talked to Simon Cowell. Sensing his nerves, Cowell took a gentle approach, asking about his talent. Wilson said, "I've been singing all my life, but the past year, I've been kind of working on it a lot more and singing in front of people more since it's definitely my dream."
Considering the young Alabama native's anxious body language, no one in the audience seemed to think the jaw-dropping performance Wilson had in store for them, but still, the audience cheered as he spoke. Before Wilson started his performance, Cowell said a few encouraging yet intimidating words, "I always say this, and it's happened. Two minutes really, really can change your life, so let's see what we can do." With a smile on his face, Wilson prepared himself to start his performance as he looked to his mother standing across the wings, who gave him a thumbs-up. With the mic set up, Wilson waited for the music to begin as he sang his soulful rendition of 'You Don't Own Me' by Lesley Gore.
The song is considerably hard to perform and requires immense practice to command delicate control and bold power. Surprisingly enough, Wilson had mastered both as he effortlessly shifted between soft vulnerability and hefty confidence. As Wilson took the high notes, the audience applauded, completely immersed in the music. As the performance continued, Wilson started expanding his stage presence. Gone was the meek 14-year-old. Feeding off the crowd’s energy, Wilson started to relax, grabbing the mic and moving across the stage like he belonged there — his voice filling every corner as if claiming the space for himself.
As Wilson ended his performance, the crowd erupted into a cheer with a standing ovation. As he looked around the room, he smiled as he knew he had nothing to worry about now. As everyone calmed down, Sofia Vergara started speaking as she said, "You were so nervous at the beginning; I was like, oh my God, he's not going to be able to put his stuff together, but you did, and you did amazingly." Cowell, moved by Wilson's performance, asked him who his inspiration was. Wilson replied, "I love Aretha Franklin so much; that's definitely a dream to have a big name like that." Cowell then asked, "So your parents must have great taste in music, right?" Wilson, hilariously, with all his nervousness gone, said with a straight face, "No."
Howie Mandell was deeply moved by the performance as well, "That stage is where dreams come true. Do you believe in dreams?" Wilson, without hesitating, said yes, to which Mandell replied, "Well, one of them is about to come true," as he got up from his seat and in an iconic moment, hit the Golden Buzzer. The crowd cheered as Wilson looked around, awestruck by what had just happened. As his mother came on stage and embraced him, Mandell went on stage as well, and the young and budding artist gave Mandell a warm hug.