By 2017, the year Leake first auditioned for "America's Got Talent," he had visited "every single high school in town" to perform spoken-word poetry or … After auditioning with "In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins, judge Simon Cowell requested a second song. “Archie, we are proud of you and we are rooting for you, and we can’t wait to see what you do. The show, which just finished its 15th U.S. season, is part of the global "Got Talent" franchise created by wise-cracking British entertainment mogul Simon Cowell. When viewers first tuned into America's Got Talent season 11 audition episodes, they were introduced to Grace VanderWaal, who was then 12 years old. Thankfully, however, her voice wasn't affected, so she left to completely focus on her singing career. Williams, who was convicted of a crime he did not commit, performed a powerful cover of Elton John and Bernie Taupin's "Don't Let The Sun Go Down on Me" in the preview for the upcoming AGT season. What happened to Archie is tragic. Check out what else is on with our TV Guide, or take a look at our new TV shows 2020 page to find out what’s airing this autumn and beyond. "I hope that by knowing about his story and the Innocence Project, it will encourage more people to support the incredible work they do," he wrote in the tweet. The Duchess of Sussex recorded a good luck message for contestant Archie Williams, one of the show’s finalists. “blew” her mind, The Great British Bake Off delivers biggest Channel 4 launch with almost 8 million viewers, Best TV series to watch on Netflix right now (October 2020). Williams was wrongly convicted of attempted murder, aggravated rape and aggravated burglary in 1982 and was only released in 2019 when an FBI fingerprint database proved his innocence. She's also appeared off-Broadway. Archie Williams' journey on America's Got Talent has always resonated with fans, and during Tuesday's finals, he gave it his all. As he was driving through the night, Leake's 17-year-old Honda broke down. When she got to perform on the America's Got Talent stage, Nashville native Cristina Rae had certainly come a long way since the days when she was pregnant and sleeping in her car. "I can be your introduction to this world," he remembered thinking. On Tuesday, America's Got Talent judge Simon Cowell tweeted that contestant Archie Williams' story about being of falsely imprisoned made him emotional. He awarded Leake a coveted "Golden Buzzer" early in the season, granting him a straight shot to the live shows, and heaped praise during his performances. By 2017, the year Leake first auditioned for "America's Got Talent," he had visited "every single high school in town" to perform spoken-word poetry or lead workshops with their Black student unions. “So a very special message to you that I will probably be saying all of my life, but this night, it is specifically for you,” she added. ", This is Archie Williams. I know it's my chance of a lifetime," he said. So, I hope some good will come from this.". In American life, poetry is often relegated to the dustbins of academia and narrow-audience obscurity. In March 2019, the request was granted, and he was proven innocent hours later. @Archieisfree pic.twitter.com/2SlkSfrYm3. Her performance was so impressive that the judges and audience gave her a standing ovation. He grappled in urgent rhymes with the most intimate and universal of relationships, telling his child how he prayed his own inadequacies did not "become a family legacy," that he could carry his sins to the cemetery "before they ever become hereditary.". You can unsubscribe at any time. What happened to Archie is tragic. But he's got a story -- and a voice -- for the ages. In a press release, the judge called Williams' performance "probably the single most important one in the history of America's Got Talent. Even spoken-word poetry, which skews younger and less stodgy than the written stuff, rarely has a place on the national public stage. Click the button below to start this article in quick view. Archie Williams auditioned for the new season of "America's Got Talent," one year after he was freed from prison after serving 36 years for a rape he didn't commit. America's Got Talent season 15 featured many amazing performers who had incredible stories, including Cristina Rae. "I truly believe you deserve a show in Las Vegas," Klum told Leake, marking perhaps the first time those words had been uttered in that order to a poet. Williams' audition airs on Tuesday at 8 p.m. when the new season of "America's Got Talent" premieres on NBC. Here's how poetry critic David Orr put it in his 2011 book "Beautiful and Pointless," which was obviously about the state of modern poetry: "For decades now, one of the poetry world's favorite activities has been bemoaning its lost audience, and then bemoaning the bemoaning, then bemoaning that bemoaning, until finally everyone shrugs and applies for a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.". — Simon Cowell (@SimonCowell) September 22, 2020. He is committed to advancing the work of the Innocence Project and the cause of criminal justice reform writ large. Cowell shared the unforgettable performance in a tweet. This week during the America’s Got Talent finale, viewers were treated to a surprise appearance from Meghan Markle who came on the show shout out … When a white woman in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was raped and stabbed in 1982, she repeatedly identified Williams as her rapist. But now he stood alone on the empty faux streets of the Universal Studios back lot, looking like a skinny college kid under the harsh spotlights. Archie Williams' Heartbreaking Story of Triumph Even Got to Simon Cowell | Culture. New judge Sofia Vergara joins Simon, Heidi, Howie and Terry for Season 15! In another tweet, Cowell told his followers that he'd become an ambassador for the Innocence Project, a nonprofit who works to exonerate people who have been wrongfully convicted. Simon Cowell attends the "America's Got Talent" Season 15 Kickoff at Pasadena Civic Auditorium on March 4, in Pasadena, California. Her inspiring story and love for her son touched the hearts of many viewers. Now, after appearing on the popular series, she has a bigger platform than ever. Exclusive Monty Python content for just £5.99! But he's got a story -- and a voice -- for the ages. (CNN) The new season of "America's Got Talent" already has a frontrunner, and his episode hasn't even aired yet. Leake, a former high school English teacher who now works as an academic counselor at a local community college, was flatly rejected by the "AGT" screeners in 2017. Much like the Britain’s Got Talent semi-finals, the America’s Got Talent finale was a socially distant affair making use of a virtual audience, video calls and a separated judging panel. The winner of the one million dollars and the star of the headline show in Las Vegas is ... (an interminably long 15-second pause) ... Brandon Leake.". By entering your details, you are agreeing to Radio Times privacy policy. Valentinetti was eliminated in the Preliminaries. And when he completed his affecting audition, all four of them -- plus those in attendance -- rose to give him a standing ovation. Have a good night!” Markle said. I asked him what he hoped his students and former students were thinking as they watched him take the grand prize for his very personal work. Good luck to all the contestants and thank you all for tuning in. The go-to source for comic book and superhero movie fans. While attending the university, she was part of the Orchesis Dance Company and the Jubilee Singers. This meant that Cristina was sent straight to the finals. The judges were stunned when Williams shared his story. In 2019, Sal returned for AGTCs. I will never forget this audition for the rest of my life. Speaking by phone on Friday, he said he planned to lead student poetry workshops in the city, particularly in "our disenfranchised south- and east-side communities," and get back to a writing curriculum he had been teaching at a prison northeast of town. After a tonsillectomy, AGT superstar Cristina Rae feared she would not be able to sing again, and briefly studied Biology at Tennessee State University. pic.twitter.com/UCco7OwdGx. She walked onto that stage and became a viral sensation after her performance of her original song "I Don't Know My Name."." America's Got Talent - Watch episodes on NBC.com and the NBC App. Raised by a single mother on the south side of Stockton, he was accustomed, as he put it, to "playing this game of life with the decks stacked against you." Was £208 per room per now now only £79 A previous version of this story had the trailer from 2019. — America’s Got Talent (@AGT) September 24, 2020 Markle's video got Williams choked up almost immediately, but the singer had a very emotional night even before the surprise message. ): Cody Won The Veto. Cristina said that she entered the competition in the hopes of providing a better life for her now toddler son, Jeremiah. But the television personality and comedian, whose signature stand-up bit involved pulling a latex glove over his head and inflating it with his nostrils, had been an unlikely champion of poetry on the prime-time stage throughout the show's 2020 run. This Will Happen Next, Big Brother 22: Memphis Has Two Final 3 Deals. "As you can see from the audition, Simon's reaction to Archie and his story was immediate, powerful, and personal.