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Brooke Bailey Tears Up After Her ‘Spectacular’ Aretha Franklin Cover
This 19-year-old college student had Judge Heidi Klum hooked from the first note.
Brooke Bailey was channeling the “Queen of Soul” when she stepped out onto the America’s Got Talent stage and delivered a “spectacular” performance of a song first made famous by Aretha Franklin.
As the audience cheered and the emotion swelled after hitting the last soulful high note, Bailey wiped away tears.
“It means a lot to you, doesn’t it?” Judge Simon Cowell asked.
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“Yeah,” Bailey replied.
“Yeah, I could tell,” Cowell remarked, before the Judges handed down four yes votes to move her forward in the talent competition.
Who is Brooke Bailey?
For Bailey, stepping out onto the AGT stage was getting her one step closer to realizing her dream of becoming a professional singer.
“My dream is really, I just want to sing. I just want to be on stage, I want to be a performer. And I don’t plan on giving up,” she told the Judges.
The 19-year-old is currently a music major at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, California.
When she isn’t polishing her voice, the teen works at Planet Fitness, where she’s already got some early fans.
“So, does your boss know you’re here today?” Cowell asked her.
“Oh, absolutely,” Bailey replied. “He was like. ‘oh my gosh, my coworker’s famous’. I was like, ‘ok’. He’s like, ‘I’m going to have your music playing at the gym.’ I was like, ‘calm down.’”
What Song Did Brooke Bailey Sing?
Then, as her anxious mom waited in the wings, Bailey — who described herself as someone who really thrived on a stage — broke out into song, delivering an epic, soulful rendition of the Franklin hit “Ain’t No Way.”
“Ain't no way for me to love you, if you won't let me,” Bailey crooned.
Her effortless vocals oozed with emotion and left the audience stunned.
When she finished, she quietly broke down into tears as the audience erupted into loud cheers.
What Did The Judges Say?
The Act also resonated with AGT Judges, who praised the college student for her ability to deliver an stirring performance.
“You had me at the beginning,” Judge Heidi Klum told her. “You really do belong on stage. My favorite audition of the day today by far.”
Judge Howie Mandel offered his own compliment to Bailey, describing her voice as “an amazing instrument.”
“Your voice is really good,” he continued. “You’re a really good singer and I think you have a future ahead of you. I really liked it.”
Judge Sofia Vergara praised Bailey’s ability to “sing the feeling that you put into the song.”
“It’s spectacular,” she added.
As for Cowell, he mentioned that next time, he’d like to see Bailey sing with a band behind her so she had more vocal freedom that can’t be found in a background track.
“For you to manage what you’re doing with a job, to do something you love, is incredible, actually,” he told her.
All four judges quickly handed down the “yes” votes needed to move Bailey on in the competition, before she walked off stage and into the arms of her mom.
“Oh that was so good, honey. That was amazing,” her mom said.
To find out how Bailey will fare in the Season 19 competition, watch America’s Got Talent Tuesdays at 8/7c on NBC or available streaming the next day on Peacock.
