Former Electrician Turns Into Rock Star With His Guitar On 'AGT'

Jun 15, 2023

“America's Got Talent” has played host to a bevy of talents since its inception in 2006 and has since gone on to produce international and national stars, including Terry Fator, Mat Franco, Michael Grimm, and Grace VanderWaal. Winners of the show compete to win a coveted $1 million cash prize and an “AGT” headlining show which used to be a Las Vegas tour. 

In particular, Season 18 of the widely acclaimed talent competition started with a bang since it first premiered on May 30, 2023. Although a few contestants failed to meet the judges' expectations and didn't proceed to the next stage, several others went on to win the judges over, with some also receiving a golden buzzer, including the Mzansi Youth Choir, Putri Ariani, Roland Abante, Grace Good, and the Ramadhani Brothers among others. 

Episode 3 took place on June 13, 2023, and one of the performances which no doubt impressed the judges, and the audience was John Wines' electric guitar performance. The 59-year-old won the hearts of everyone present with his guitar performance of Queen’s "We Will Rock You" despite his lack of faith in himself and his skills. 

The wonderful performance was made even better by the former electrician turned music teacher's humility. Wines' audition quickly blew up on YouTube with over 1 million views and 20,000 likes. He also now has about 1.2 million followers on TikTok and over 180,000 followers on Instagram. Keep reading to find out more about Wines' performance, the audience and judges' reactions, and the praise that followed. 

When John Wines stood on the stage for his “America’s Got Talent” audition on June 13, 2023, he looked like a regular old man. However, he became a rock god the instant he started jamming on his guitar. Wines blew the audience and the judges away with his electrifying performance. 

His rendition of "We Will Rock You" by Queen had the audience in a frenzy as they gave him a standing ovation before asking for more. "We want more," they yelled for some time before calming down.

Unsurprisingly, he got four yeses from the judges, who were also stunned by what they witnessed. Sofia Vergara remarked that it was "so much fun to watch" and told Wines that he is a "rock star."

Wines thanked her while commenting that it was an "exhilarating" yet nerve-wracking experience. Simon Cowell mentioned that Wines looked "normal and nice and sweet," but his personality transformed on the stage, saying, "I was not expecting that." Howie Mandel thought it was "surprising."

Fans applauded Wines in the comments section, with one of them writing, "This guy is a master on the guitar! He truly rocks! He could easily be a one-man backup act at a rock concert!" Another fan loved him for his humility despite his amazing talent, adding that it made the experience all the more powerful. 

Wines also posted on his Instagram page for his followers to follow the audition. "Don't forget tonight😊, not that you would😊 8 pm Eastern time😊," the musician wrote.  

"Watched it John. You absolutely killed it! Cheers!" a fan commented while another praised him, "You killed it brother!🎶😎🎸."

"AGT" also posted the video on Instagram. "From teacher to rockstar dreams! John Wines wowed the #AGT stage!" the caption read, to which fans also responded with enthusiasm. 

What did you think of Wines' performance? What do you think his future career will be like? Let us know your thoughts — and be sure to pass this article on to friends, family members, and fellow “AGT” fans!