Willie Nelson protégé paused her dreams to care for mom with cancer — but 'AGT' gave her a second chance
When 27-year-old folk singer-songwriter Lily Meola walked on the ‘AGT’ stage, she was giving her career a second chance. The contestant lost her mother, who she described as her "biggest cheerleader," to cancer. She chose to be with her mother in her final moments and paused her career as a professional singer. The daughter of Nancy Meola, assistant to entertainment manager Shep Gordon, became a protégé of legendary musician Willie Nelson. Lily revealed that she booked a weekly residency at Cafe des Amis in Paia with the help of her mother. While performing at the cafe, Lily was discovered by the country music legend.
Lily, who was in her late teens at the time, was touring with Nelson and performing duets on his album 'To All the Girls' in 2013. Thanks to Nelson, she got enough exposure to be listed in Rolling Stone’s '10 New Country Artists You Need to Know' list. Eventually, she signed a record deal with Interscope Records to kick-start her music career. Unfortunately, her life “flipped upside-down” and her dreams crumbled before they could ignite. In 2016, Nancy got diagnosed with cancer, and Lily decided to put her career on hold. “My mom was diagnosed with cancer and I became her full-time caretaker,” she told the judges on ‘AGT.’
“I lost my record deal during that [ordeal], but I think maybe it was bit of a blessing, because it gave me some extra time to really be there for her,” she added. When Simon Cowell asked if her mother was better, she teared up, revealing that she had passed away. Lily feared she won’t be able to make it through the song without tearing up. “But singing was something my mom and I really connected with, and it’s how I fell in love with music in the first place,” she added. “I’ll just try to make her proud,” she said before starting her performance.
Lily graced the stage with an original song titled ‘Daydream.’ Her performance had the crowd cheering and left the judges in awe. She deservingly earned a standing ovation and even moved Heidi Klum to tears. “I don’t know what to say. I’m like speechless,” the judge said. “Sometimes you have someone on the stage and you hear their voice. You just light up. I see a light around you and immediately fell in love with you,” she added. Klum admitted that she wanted to give her Golden Buzzer to someone other than singers, but Lily's soulful performance won her over.
“I can’t help it because I really, really like you. So, I’m gonna do this,” she said before hitting the Golden Buzzer. The contestant got the second chance she hoped for, and it changed her life. Not only did she reach the season’s semifinals, but she also restarted her music career. Something similar happened with ‘Police Academy’ star Michael Winslow, who stepped away from the limelight after his wife’s death and restarted his career on the ‘AGT’ stage in season 16.