Irish singer Stephanie Rainey blew away the judges and audience with her audition on Tuesday night's America's Got Talent, with Simon Cowell calling her performance "a moment".
The Cork singer put in a moving performance of Please Don't Go, a song she wrote about the loss of her nephew, Fionn, who tragically died from meningitis before his first birthday.
Before she sang the track, judge Sofia Vergara asked her if this was the first time she had attempted to be on a competition like this.
Rainey replied: "I've had a very rollercoaster career I would say. This song that I'm going to play has had a big moment in the past. We made it in a tiny room and put it up one Monday morning and by the end of the day it had a million views.
"And then I signed a [record] deal after the song came out. I think I probably didn't fully know who I was when I signed that deal.
"The journey from then to now has been hard. It's a tough industry, you have to be resilient. You have to be willing to pick yourself back up. So here I am."
When judge Simon Cowell asked what the song is about, she said: "I wrote it about losing my nephew when I was a teenager. He was about to turn one, it was the day before his first birthday and he passed away. It took me a long time to write a song about it.
"Honestly I was about to give up music, and I wanted to make something for me, that I believe in, so this song means more to be than I can describe."
"Good for you for doing that and not giving up," Cowell replied. "I know how difficult the music business is. There are so many great people who are giving up, and that's why a platform like this is still really important."
"Well look, we're rooting for you," he added.
Rainey's performance was rapturously received, bringing the audience and Simon Cowell to their feet while Vergara wiped a tear from her eye. She said it was "such a beautiful, heartfelt song."
Fellow judge Howie Mandel said: "Very few acts move people, and that was one of the most relatable, emotional moments we've had on season 19, so thank you."
Heidi Klum's feedback was equally positive. "Your voice sounded amazing on this stage. It was just a real special moment. Well done," she said.
We need your consent to load this Instagram contentWe use Instagram to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
Cowell was effusive in his praise, saying: "Of all the new songs I've heard this year, this is the best by a mile. Even though it's about something really sad, it's real.
"And your voice is beautiful. A lot of people are going to resonate with that song. I absolutely love this."
After the judges all gave Rainey a 'yes', Cowell said: "I'm going to give you about 4,000 yeses."
He joined Rainey onstage and told her: "That was what I call a moment. That song is so beautiful. Thank you so much."
For more music news click here
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
