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A 27-year-old singer blew away the America’s Got Talent judges with a “sensational” audition that landed her a ticket straight to the show’s next round.
Lavender Darcangelo, who is blind and autistic, was led to the stage by her father on last night’s (July 11) episode. She explained that she has been singing since she was three years old, though she did not speak until the age of four.
“I have a lot of dreams,” she said. “I want to build a school where the classes are based off of what kids are naturally curious at – so, a school I would have a thrived in.”
After recounting the story of how she was adopted by her fathers later in life, Darcangelo launched into her own rendition of Irene Cara’s “Out Here On My Own” from Fame. The performance earned her a standing ovation from everyone in the theater as Simon Cowell praised her “unbelievable” performance.
“That was sensational. Honestly, sensational,” Cowell said. “Everything about that was just magical, magical. You have such a talent. You have such an amazing personality. And you know what? We make the show because we get to meet people like you occasionally.”
He continued, “And I am so happy that you’ve come on our show to share your talent with us, because this is an audition I’ll never forget. It was amazing, amazing.”
But judge Heidi Klum took her praise a step further.
“I feel like I just fell in love,” she said. “This AGT journey is an amazing journey, and I would love to be your cheerleader and hold your hand all the way till the finish line. What do you say?”
She then hit the Golden Buzzer, granting Darcangelo the chance to go straight to the live shows. Now that Klum has used her Golden Buzzer, the only remaining Golden Buzzer belongs to judge Sofia Vergara.
Klum joined Darcangelo and her father on stage, where she promised to be by her side “all the way to the finish line.”
“I don’t know if this a dream or if I’m really awake,” the singer said through tears.
Klum reflected on the memorable audition later on, writing to Darcangelo in a tweet, “I will never forget this audition. @lavdarcangelo LET’S DO THIS!!!! I love you, believe in you, and I can’t wait to hold your hand all the way to the finish line. Honored to be your #GoldenBuzzer mama!”
In a backstage moment with her dads, Darcangelo said, “Sometimes, when I grew up, I didn’t know, like, ‘What am I here for?’ But now I know why I’m here.”
Scroll up to watch Darcangelo’s moving performance.
