Deaf Singer Mandy Harvey Spectacularly Nails ‘America’s Got Talent’ Audition

Lots of great performers cycle through America’s Got Talent. But some performances are much more impressive than others. Singer Mandy Harvey might have just given one of the most exciting performances yet.

For her performance, Harvey sang and played ukulele on an original song called “Try.” Her voice is lovely and the songwriting is emotional and heartfelt. Here’s the real kicker though: Mandy Harvey is deaf.

“I lost all my hearing when I was 18 years old,” she said, describing her connective tissue disorder. “So basically I got sick, and my nerves deteriorated.”

She began singing when she was just four years old, so relearning to sing without the use of her ears was a process. The now 29-year-old said she tried to trust her muscle memory and use visual tuners to confirm her pitch was spot on.

For her America’s Got Talent audition, Harvey came onstage with a translator. She also went shoeless so she could feel the tempo through vibrations in the floor. “Try,” she explained, is a song she wrote after she lost her hearing. “I gave up,” she said, “but I want to do more with my life than just give up.”

Really, though, her performance speaks for itself. Watch it here:

 

Even notoriously harsh judge Simon Cowell joined in the applause that followed. “Mandy,” he said, “I don’t think you’re going to need a translator for this.” He then pushed the Golden Buzzer, which sends her straight through to the live rounds.

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After that, he congratulated her onstage, adding, “I mean, I’ve done this a long time, and this is one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen or heard.”

The next episode of America’s Got Talent airs on June 13, 2017.

–BandRumors Staff