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'AGT’ trio met just weeks before their audition — then stunned the judges with a gospel-rock performance

1aChord had nothing but blessings for ‘America’s Got Talent’ as they gripped every judge on the panel.

Tavis Cunningham, Christoff Hairston, and Julian Kennedy were brought together by both fate and a divine intervention. As they formed 1aChord and decided to hit the stage of ‘America’s Got Talent,’ trying to impress the esteemed judges, the trio blessed the hall with their powerful performance. Towards the beginning of their performance, footage showed the three walking down the aisle of a church. Back in Season 16 of ‘AGT,’ the three members of 1aChord considered themselves more than friends, a close group of brothers. Interestingly, the video also revealed that the three had met just “a month and a half ago.” 

Under the blue and violet lights, a black piano shone as their performance began. “When your day is long,” the lyrics were heard as one member of the group sang while also playing the grand musical instrument. Adding the style of a blues singer, Cunningham entered the song, giving weight to the piano track with his low voice. Standing in the middle, Hairston added to the atmosphere as he sang “don’t let yourself go.” Singing in the background, Cunningham and Kennedy harmonised in the chorus.

As the performance progressed, the song grew heavier, with more intense piano keys giving it the feel of a jazz performance. All in all, the performance felt straight out of a church. Wearing white outfits, the three captivated the arena with their perfectly timed pauses and breakdowns, all in sync. Taking the attendees aback, they introduced soaring high notes. While pianist Kennedy held his place, singers Cunningham and Hairston took the mics off their stands and came forward, grooving to the track. With the audience on their feet, the boys from 1aChord sang 'Hold On' in different pitches, backed only by the rhythm of clapping.

Once they concluded their act, judges Sofia Vergara, Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, and Howie Mandel stood and enthusiastically cheered for them. “I don't know what I was listening to, it's like rock stars or gospel singers,” Vergara stated, also calling it a combination of both genres. “I was forgetting where I was,” the judge continued. “This has been the best performance of the night so far,” Cowell added, also calling the trio “magic.” The comedian from the panel stated that the act was “seamless.”

Addressing their genre as contemporary gospel, he also mentioned that the trio had created a new genre that didn't exist back then. “I would buy a ticket to your concert,” added Mandel. 1aChord was eliminated in the Semifinals, according to Fandom. The three members had met each other in the cafe of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. After the trio recorded a video of themselves singing together and uploaded it online, they instantly became a viral group. For their auditions, 1aChord sang ‘Fix You’ by Coldplay. Even in the auditions, the trio had earned four yeses.