A shy, 13-year-old Courtney Hadwin wowed the judges on “America’s Got Talent” Tuesday, prompting one to exclaim, “You're like a lion.”
Although she awkwardly admitted she was “a little bit nervous” during her pre-performance interview, Hadwin owned the stage, the studio, and everyone in it when she began belting out the Otis Redding classic, “Hard to Handle.”
“Oh. My. God,” judge Heidi Klum said halfway through the electrifying performance.
Judge Simon Cowell, never at a loss to brutally tell untalented contestants to keep their day job, was equally taken aback by the little 13-year-old.
“Bloody hell, Courtney,” he said. “You were like this shy little thing when you first came out, and then you sing. You’re like a lion.”
Judge Howie Mandel compared her to the late legendary songstress Janis Joplin.
“You are not from this era,” Mandel enthused. “You’re from a whole different era. And I’m a huge Janis Joplin fan and there’s a story — if you’ve ever watched the documentary — Clive Davis, he goes to the Monterey Pop Festival and he sees this young girl that nobody’s ever seen before, that nobody knows. It was the first time that Janis Joplin got signed and that changed her life. I’m not Clive Davis, I’m Howie Mandel, and I can’t sign you to a record deal. The only thing I can do for you, young lady, is give you …”
Mandel then hit the Golden Buzzer that sent Hadwin directly to the end-of-the-season live shows.
This prompted Hadwin to burst into tears. She later tweeted a video of her performance, along with this statement.
Folks on social media were just as blown away as were the judges.
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