‘AGT’ contestant shares heartbreaking diagnosis — then stuns judges with electrifying violin performance
Brian King Joseph, a contestant from Los Angeles, stepped onto the grand stage of ‘America’s Got Talent’ with big dreams and a story sure to melt even the toughest hearts. “It's such an honor to be here,” the musician said to the judges, adding that he was a violinist. During a heartfelt conversation with the panel, he shared that it had been his childhood dream to appear on ‘America’s Got Talent.’
Not too long after, he told Heidi Klum that three years ago, he was diagnosed with a serious nerve disease that took away the sensation from his hands and his feet. Having every soul in the theater shocked, Joseph also added that the same disease would eventually spread throughout his body. Wishing “all the luck,” Klum excitedly told the violinist that they were all excited to welcome him on ‘AGT.’
With the loud cheers, Joseph began to perform his routine. A drop beat of DJ Snake and Major Lazer's 'Lean On' soon hit everyone just like a lightning strike, but what was fresh about this tune was that it was a minus track with no vocals, and instead of the singing part, it was the electric violin. With a huge smile on his face and a lot of expressions that attracted everyone, Joseph made his audition even more intriguing. He played with a white violin as if it were a part of his body.
The contestant with braids had great energy in his performance, looking at which even Simon Cowell actually leaned on. The smooth and swift notes on the violin soon turned into a fast rhythm, and the low beat pulled everyone even closer to his routine. While Joseph already had the skills of a violinist right out of an opera, he even had a few little dance moves that he enjoyed while playing the song. Mel B and Howie Mandel were seen as highly impressed by what Joseph had for them. While his bow started to shred its strings, the players did not stop playing and were a live part of the track.
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His tunes were so strong that they made the audience stand up as they only wished one thing: to groove along to the song. As his performance took even higher notes and fast swipes on the violin, he danced and shook his body on the stage while playing the tune of the globally acclaimed track. Many people were even seen clapping along the beat, but a lot was left on Joseph’s part, as he slowed down his tempo and concluded the performance.
Looking at the way the audience responded, the judges had no choice but to invite him to the future rounds. According to Fandom, Mandel, Mel B, Klum, as well as Cowell all gave Joseph their yeses. The contestant was then directly sent to the Judge's cuts. Being a part of Season 13 of ‘AGT,’ the electric violinist finished ‘America’s Got Talent’ in third place. Interestingly, he made a return in ‘AGT: The Champions 2,’ in which he was eliminated in the Preliminaries in the Judges' Choice.