11-Year-Old Boy’s A Cappella Performance On 'AGT' Earns Him A Standing Ovation

Jun 14, 2023

“America’s Got Talent” is one of the biggest and most watched talent shows in the world at the moment. The almost two-decade-old show was created by TV personality and serial entrepreneur Simon Cowell in 2006. Although domiciled in America, the show has attracted participants from near and far, looking to showcase their talent. Year after year, participants with skills in singing, dancing, magic, comedy, stunts, and many more incredible talents grace the stage for a chance to either win the ultimate prize or at least gain more exposure. 

Since its inception, the talent show has witnessed the start of successful careers for celebrities like Terry Fator, Jackie Evancho, and Lindsey Stirling, among others. Besides being the starting point of some successful careers, the show has also been inspirational. It has allowed people with disabilities, long-term ailments, and unfortunate life occurrences to become a part of something huge and rewarding. 

On May 30, 2023, the famed talent show made a comeback on NBC for Season 18. As expected, the show immediately went into full swing with auditions of participants showcasing their talents. Since the season 18 premiere, fans of the show have been treated to mindblowing performances in all genres from participants from all walks of life.

One such performance that left the entire audience in admiration was by 11-year-old D’Corey Johnson. The child performed a cover of Journey‘s “Open Arms” for his audition on the show. In the audition video shared by America’s Got Talent on May 31, 2023, it was without doubt that Johnson sang his way into the hearts of the audience. Continue reading to relive the moment the audience was swayed by his performance.

On May 31, 2023, “America’s Got Talent” shared a video of the audition of 11-year-old Johnson on their official YouTube channel. The four-minute-long video showed the moment the singer walked on stage, introducing himself. Johnson, who is from Louisville, Kentucky, wants to someday be on Broadway, flourishing as a singer and an actor. 

“I wanna be on Broadway and I wanna be in movies and I want to be in 'Hamilton' and 'Wicked,'” Johnson said.

He shared that Simon Cowell was his favorite judge, stating that Cowell “keeps it real like his mama.” He also expressed his desire to go home as the winner of the most coveted prize. After the familiarities, Johnson went on to perform a cover of Journey‘s “Open Arms” to the audience’s amazement. Despite the technicalities of the towering notes involved in the song, the boy singer walked over them like it was a piece of cake. As Johnson brought his powerful rendition of his choice song to a close, the audience gave him a loud cheer accompanied by a standing ovation in appreciation of his talent.

However, Cowell wanted more from the singer. After Johnson’s first rendition, Cowell asked him to sing the chorus of the song a cappella, without the backing of a musical instrument. After taking a moment to gather his thoughts, the tween obliged the judge’s request and gave an even more powerful rendition of the chorus, hitting all the right notes. As Johnson sang, Cowell closed his eyes, allowing himself to dwell intently on the rendition. At the end of Johnson’s second performance, the "America's Got Talent" audience, including Cowell, gave the rising star a rousing applause accompanied by yet another standing ovation.

How did you feel after watching D’Corey Johnson’s performance of Journey‘s “Open Arms'' for his "America's Got Talent" audition? What do you think his future holds? Let us know — and be sure to pass this article on to friends, family members, and fellow “AGT” fans.