Nobody expected this soft-spoken 59-year-old to deliver one of the wildest guitar solos ‘AGT’ has seen
'America's Got Talent' welcomes contestants of all ages without any restrictions. Audiences have seen children as young as 8 owning the stage, but what happens when an older contestant wows the crowd? Enter John Wines, a 59-year-old guitarist who auditioned for 'America's Got Talent' Season 18 and had everyone's jaws on the floor with his rhythm. With relaxed shoulders, a gentle smile, and an eyeglass holder resting on his chest, Wines walked on stage as if he were out on a stroll in the garden. As he stood there, he greeted everyone with a warm "Hello."
Hailing from the UK, Wines stated how he switched careers from being an electrician to a music teacher. Simon Cowell began by asking Wines the same old question, "Where do you see yourself in five years?" Wines, quite passionate about his craft, replied, "Still teaching, I hope, because I absolutely love what I do; the kids keep me young." Finally, Klum asked the obvious question, "What has taken you so long to come here to audition?" Without missing a beat, Wines started, "I've never thought about it, but I've always said to all the kids, 'Sir, I'm really nervous,' and I said, 'Well, if you weren't nervous, I'd be nervous.' And they'd say, 'Yeah, but it's not like that for you,' and I thought, Maybe I need to do something about that."
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Finally, ready to perform, Wines' wife brought the electric guitar for him as she gave him a gentle nod. As he plugged in the guitar, the audio feedback let out a deafening roar. After everything settled, Wines strapped on his guitar and started playing with a sound so heavy it felt almost as if he was revving a chainsaw. As the music kicked in, the audience cheered as they recognized it to be the evergreen 'We Will Rock You' by Queen. Finally, the 59-year-old music teacher started playing to the melody of one of Queen's most iconic songs. As he shredded the guitar, the audience roared and rumbled as everyone clapped to the beats of 'We Will Rock You.'
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As the song reached its end, Wines began his intense fretboard frenzy, pouring every ounce of passion into each note. The judges and the audience watched in disbelief as Wines kept on playing, with his eyes closed, almost as if the guitar had become an extension of himself. The crowd rose to their feet and cheered as Sofia Vergara watched with her mouth agape in awe. Just when it seemed the performance was over, Wines lifted his guitar, eyes still shut as he crescendoed his performance to an end.
As the performance ended, perhaps Vergara resonated with everyone's sentiments when she said, "You didn't think you could be a teacher; did you ever imagine you could be a rockstar?" Howie Mandel added, "It was like watching Old Man Halen," as reported by Guitar World. Klum then went on to point out how he performed the entire song with his eyes closed, to which Wines hilariously added, "I was waiting for the red Xs." Needless to say, Wines got a unanimous yes from all four judges and moved on to the next round. However, he got eliminated in the semifinals, where he performed a rock version of 'Misirlou' from 'Pulp Fiction as reported by Fandom.
