Courtney Hadwin may have been the last act to perform on the June 12 episode of “America’s Got Talent” but she was the first (and only) one to get the golden buzzer, which sent her straight through to the live shows. Before performing the Otis Redding classic “Hard to Handle,” this soft-spoken 13-year-old girl admitted to being plagued with stage fright. Only with the encouragement of Mel B was she able to raise her voice in song. (Watch her audition video above.)
And what a voice it is. Hadwin sounds like a singer who has been performing for years. Indeed, her homage to Rolling Stones lead man Mick Jagger, she harkens back to the swinging 60s. Howie Mandel invoked another 60s icon, Janis Joplin, when he hit the buzzer. And “AGT” head judge Simon Cowell was equally wowed by this talented teen, praising her tenacity and likening her to lion.
PHOTOS ‘America’s Got Talent’ winners: Where are they now updates for every ‘AGT’ champion
In his “AGT” live blog, our recapper John Benutty observed, “After a sweet pep talk from Mel, Courtney erupted into a surprising rock performance that knocked everyone’s socks off. Howie was blown away by her, comparing her to Janis Joplin and saying that Janis was signed on the spot by Clive Davis, but since he isn’t Clive Davis the best thing he could do for her right now is hit his Golden Buzzer! That means Courtney has a huge boost of confidence on her way straight through to the live shows!”
SIGN UP for Gold Derby’s free newsletter with latest predictions
