Simon Cowell Says He Got “Goosebumps” After 10-Year-Old Performed Celine Dion Hit For Audition

Jun 04, 2021

Simon Cowell has become one of the most popular celebrities of the 21st century. He started out as a producer for the television shows “Pop Idol” in the U.K. and “American Idol” in the U.S. After “American Idol” enjoyed many years of success, producers released spinoffs in countries across the world. Cowell also became one of the major figures on these shows in his role as a no-nonsense (and sometimes harsh) judge.

Although Cowell was done with “American Idol,” he was not done being a judge. He helped to create “America's Got Talent” in 2006 and “Britain's Got Talent” in 2007. And as most know, he has worked as a judge on both versions of the show. Like chef Gordon Ramsey, Cowell is known for his sometimes scathing comments on the show. When he doesn’t like an act, he doesn’t pull any punches and is quick to criticize. But almost everyone, even someone who can occasionally be a curmudgeon, has a softer side. 

Sometimes, when somebody gives a rousing and incredible performance, people get to see the other side of Cowell. It is no secret that Cowell known talent when sees it, and in the past, he has helped launch a number of successful singers and groups, such as Susan Boyle, One Direction, Labrinth and Little Mix. 

The best way to get Cowell's attention is to present your talent to him on the big stages, and one young Filipino boy, Peter Rosalita, did exactly that during "America's Got Talent" in June 2021. He was so good that Cowell said he had "goosebumps" after the performance. 

Season 16 of "America's Got Talent" premiered this June, and 10-year-old Peter Rosalita very quickly became a strong contender at the competition. He followed in the show's grand tradition of little kids with giant voices as she wowed judges with his rendition of Eric Carmen's hit song "All By Myself," and his vocal range from a sultry deep note to an impossibly unwavering high note took the judges' breath away. He started the song out in a lower registry, which was quite amazing to listen to already, but by the time he hit the chorus a second time, Peter was hitting octaves that had the judges on their feet for a standing ovation.

Peter currently lives in the UAE but is a Filipino citizen according to Heavy. Singing came to him very early on, and "his family noticed that he preferred watching cartoon videos that usually have musical scenes and sing along with them even though he could not utter the words clearly" according to The Global Filipino Magazine. 

His first attempt at signing competitively came with his school's talent competition, which landed him a medal in third place. Peter then began to enter local singing competitions where his singing talent was honed and showed great promise, which prompted his parents to put him in vocal classes. After the local competitions, Peter expanded his horizons and began competing in other singing competitions held internationally from Almaty, Kazakhstan to Bahrain in the Middle East.

His first big competition internationally is, of course, his rousing audition got AGT that has already made him a fan favorite. 

Peter certainly stunned the judges with both his vocal talents and his bubbly demeanor as he spoke, but his singing audition blew everyone away. The judges were quick with their praise, with Howie Mandel saying, "I predict you're going to go far in this competition."

Especially surprising was Cowell's warm response to the young singer. "That was an incredible audition," Cowell said. "There were parts during that audition that literally gave me goosebumps. You have an amazing voice, an amazing personality, an amazing energy. Everyone is going to fall in love with you after this audition."

"I think America's gonna love you," new judge Sofia Vergara agreed, with Cowell countering, "I think the world's gonna love him." As for Heidi Klum, she was taken aback by the high voice that Peter showcased so beautifully, and said that "you'd think a glass would explode" with Peter's talent. She too did not hold back with her compliments and loved Peter's audition.

It is a rare thing when the judges have such resoundingly positive feedback, but it does happen. Peter's audition captured not just the audience but the world. Even with such an amazing talent, however, it is important to remember that he is also a regular child and school student. One of his guardians told The Global Filipino Magazine, "We always make sure that he prioritizes his studies and we are proud to say that he is a consistent honor student. He is having his vocal class twice a week, which is over the weekend."

While only time will tell how far Peter will go, it is certain that he has made a mark on the competition already. Watch his audition below to see his talent for yourself:

What do you think of Peter's amazing audition? Tell us your thoughts, and be sure to let others know about Peter's insane talent as well.