Alabama‘s Reid Wilson delivered a powerful performance in the semifinals of “America’s Got Talent,” taking on a Whitney Houston classic and receiving high praise from all four celebrity judges on the NBC reality show.
However, Wilson’s soulful, slowed-down version of “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” didn’t secure enough viewer votes to advance in Season 19. The 15-year-old singer from Montgomery was eliminated in Thursday’s episode.
“I think Reid has a great career ahead of him,” Howie Mandel remarked, bidding farewell to Wilson on Thursday as the young singer exited the competition.
This week’s elimination was a tough one, cutting the number of contestants from 12 to six. Four others have already secured spots in the finals, thanks to a “Live Golden Buzzer” from one of the judges: Mandel, Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, and Sofia Vergara.
Though the talented teen didn’t reach the top 10, Wilson concludes his “America’s Got Talent” journey on a high note. His Wednesday night performance drew cheers and applause from both the audience and the judges.
“I think your voice is killer,” Mandel said. “Your voice is beautiful. You have such an amazing instrument. Only six acts can move forward, and with how good you are, you’re making it tougher for America to choose, you know? I just hope they vote. I hope you make it through, and I thought that was a great song choice.”
Alabama teen sings Whitney Houston, wows judges on ‘America’s Got Talent’: ‘Your voice is killer’ https://t.co/V8jZ0asBhM
— AL.com Birmingham (@ALcomBirmingham) September 13, 2024
“I love that you picked a song that is so difficult and so well known, but you made it yours,” Vergara said. “I could hear all your vocals so clear this time with this song. I think you made the right choice. Amazing.”
“You know what? The worst thing is, is being safe,” Cowell said. “And that wasn’t safe, come on. … So this is either going to work, or it isn’t. I wasn’t sure at the beginning, and then towards the end when you hit the big note, I thought: You know what? Smart decision. Good for you.”
“It’s been such a beautiful journey to watch you blossom here on our stage,” Klum said. “You know, you started off in the audition so shy, and literally every time you went better and better. Watching you today, you were roaring. It was so beautiful.”
When asked by series host Terry Crews how it felt to perform the Houston hit on Wednesday, Wilson said, “It felt so great. It’s such an honor to be able to sing one of her songs, and I’m so honored to even be able to sing it here.”
read more: North Carolina Supreme Court rules to remove RFK Jr.’s name from ballots
