“I could not let her go home,” declared “America’s Got Talent” guest judge Brad Paisley about why he pressed his Golden Buzzer for 15-year-old singer-songwriter Sophie Pecora. (Watch his video interview with NBC above.) Brad sent Sophie straight through to the live shows during the first Judge Cuts episode following her memorable performance of her original song, “Misfits,” about her struggles with being bullied.
Brad remarked, “It’s an amazing thing to watch somebody be so vulnerable and honest in a song, to string words together in a melody that make you sort of realize not only what they’re going through, but who they are. She’s 15 and did that. I know people in Nashville that write everyday, hoping to write something like that and be that honest.”
The country superstar explained that it’s “an amazing thing to watch” somebody like Sophie come into their own in front of the entire country. “Here’s this kid that’s probably not even driving yet and she’s able to stand on the stage with just a guitar in front of America,” Brad proclaimed. “The pressure that you feel with something like that is immense.”
Going forward Brad hopes that Sophie will heed the advice of Simon Cowell, who warned her not to fall into a crutch of always singing about bullies, as she did the first two times. “Take his advice,” Brad told the talented teenager. “Show him the other things you can write. I want to see what those are.”
Brad added that he wants Sophie to “keep writing” and that he’s “looking forward” to seeing her next performance at the Dolby Theatre. “Good luck, Sophie, I’ll see you at the live shows!” The other acts who advanced from the first Judge Cuts round were Emerald Belles, Berywam, Messoudi Brothers, Lukas & Falco, Ndiovu Youth Choir and Chris Klafford.
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