America's Got Talent - 2009 (07/22/2009)

Final Audition Show w/Interview with Susan Boyle

Los Angeles

BreakSk8. Best friends, skaters from Kokomo, Indiana. Piers buzzed early. Basically a dance group on skates. Audience likes them - Standing ovation and chant of Vegas. David: Here's the deal. We have a lot of breakdancers on the show, some incredible. I have to think about it. Piers: I loved all of it but the skates. Sharon: We HAVE seen a lot of breakdancers, but none on skates. Yes from me. Piers: Sticking with my gut... No. David: I'm gonna give you guys a break and say Yes. They're in.

Mosaic. A vocal band. "Shining Star" Yes.
The Lollipop Girls. Dancers. Yes.
Recycled Percussion. Yes.
Jeffrey Ou. Keyboard. Yes.
SQ Entertainment. Acrobatic Dancers. Yes.
And a number in a mosaic, yes.
Koshaka(?). Singer. "Natural Woman" Yes.

Break.

8yo Ciana ??? from Hawaii, singer. "At last." Audience - Partial standing ovation in middle, and clapping with the song, then chant VEGAS. Piers: If I were you, I'd start looking for a new house for your parents. I have never heard an eight-year old with a voice like that. Sharon: Did you enjoy that? (yes). David: You're so good. And look at how young you are. David: Absolutely yes. Piers: Yes from me. Sharon: Yes from me. She's in.

Break.

Choir Director, Joseph "Jo-Jo" James from LA, singer, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". Bad falsetto. Buzzed off. Audience against him. David: It sounds like one of those balloons. Piers: How do your choruses react when you do that in church? (This is my gift.) David: It didn't work out today. Nope.

Brian and Anthony Lockard. Piano show. Nope.
Inara ???. Classically trained singer with guitarist. Nope.
Scott Renkis and Darryl ???. Comedy Circus. Nope.
Dr Franklin Ruelle. Sticking straws in a potato. Nope

Break.

Beale Street Flippers. Very last act to face judges. Group of friends from Beale Street. Gymnastic Tumbling. To "Billie Jean". Audience standing ovation. Sharon and David: Standing O. David: You are the best flippers we've had on this show, by far. Piers: Two words: Flipping incredible. Yes, all round. Piers: My vote is the biggest flipping yes you've heard... They're in.

That's it for the auditions. (Recap montage of good AND bad acts.)

Break. Next come Meridith Viero's interview with Susan Boyle. Be sure to view the video, when I post the link, or go to http://www.nbc.com/agt, and view it there.)

Susan Boyle interview. (Sorry... I tried to keep up with them, but was missing out on a lot of stuff. Be sure to see the videos of it. I'm sure it will be at NBC.com, and I will post a link, soon.)

Susan Boyle Story: Daring to Dream

It appears Susan has had a makeover, and looks better than I recall having seen her. They told Susan Boyle's story with some comments from Piers, and clips from Britain's Got Talent, the internet, and news. Susan took all questions in stride and seemed to be smiling the whole time. She's recording a new CD.

No matter who said she was great, the one that took her breath away was Donnie Osmond. He taped a message for her. Donnie said, someday, I predict you and I will make a record together. We'll redo Puppy Love. And Susan's biggest idol: Elaine Paige. They bring out Elaine, shocking Susan. Susan is Gobsmacked. Piers: Wouldn't that be an amazing thing... Someone like Susan Boyle, coming from her little village, becomes a star for the next 20 years, rivaling the likes of Barbara Striesand.

Here's NBC's preview and excepts, including a partial transcript from Susan Boyle's interview: http://www.nbc.com/news/2009/07/20/susan-boyle-on-nbc-preview-and-excerpts-from-interview/

Here is the link to the individual act videos: http://www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent/video/categories/season-4-highlights/1094635/

Here's the link to the full show video: http://www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent/video/episodes/?vid=1138305#vid=1138305. Direct to the Susan Boyle Interview: http://www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent/video/episodes/?vid=1138305&tin=1772&tout=2244#vid=1138305

Next week... Vegas Week. By the end of the week, they will be down to 40.

That's it. See you next week.

America's Got Talent - 2009 (07/21/2009)

MySpace Auditions

El Vegas (Jerry) from NJ. Elvis impersonator w/a couple of "Vegas" girls. Piers buzzed early and covers his ears. Audience booing and wanting him buzzed. "Glory Hallelujah". Piers: Every time I think this show gets as whacked as it can be, someone else comes along to [dethrone] the record-holder. Sharon: Jerry, what went wrong. David: I don't know what happened. It was a bit rough for me, but I'm proud to be an American. Nope.

Jumping Eagles, jump-roping group. Piers: Absolutely ridicuouls. Nope
Shawn Berkey from Muncie, Indiana. Singer. Nope.
Don Badlaramos. Shakesperean something. Nope.
Shaunie(sp?). Singing and dancing. Effeminate guy. Piers: Bizarre! Nope

(I'm guessing they've decided to do this first segment, so we all know that they HAVE seen some bad acts. I'm not sure why they do it this way, rather than mixing them in, as they do other segments, but... Let's see if they save one of the best for last, as they have in earlier shows this year.)

Break.

Illinois HS student, Ashley Groff, 18yo, singer, has a fan club on MySpace someone started for her. OMG! A screamer! Piers and Sharon buzzed early. David: OMG! Linda Blair... What happened. Piers: For the first time on this show ever, I was truly scared of you. Nope.

Ishaara. Bollywood Dance troup. From Berkley, CA. "Bally Ho" is the song they danced to(?) David: That was terrific. Piers: Unbelievably exciting to watch. David: Yes. Piers: Definitely yes from me. Sharon: Yes. They're in. (I thought it was interesting and fun.)

Break.

The Flash. Acrobatic Jugglers. Yes.

Duo Design. Very physical act, but also very mental. A couple of bald, muscular guys. Acrobatic movement/balancing act (semi dance). Piers buzzed early. Sharon: Unbelievable control. Piers: Something oddly compelling about you two. You're very strange. David: Your act is very "alien cool". David: Yes. Piers: Just too weird for me, so I'm gonna have to say no. Sharon: I liked it very much, I liked the whole concept. Um... Yes. They're in. (Nick, backstage: They're gonna get their spaceship to Vegas).

Judges take break. David: MySpace is delivering the weird, the whacky, the wonderful.

Break.

Eddie Green, San Diego, CA, 52yo. Started doing his act in a pub one time. Friends and fans have told him he's awesome and should get on AGT. Here he is. A different kinda of puppet act. Eddie and the Puppet Divas. Life-size Tina Turner puppet. David and Piers buzzed early. Sharon, shortly after. Nope.

Marcus Terell and the Serenades. Friends for 10 years, first time they've come together as a group. Singing group. "Hit the Road Jack". Update old songs. Not bad. Interesting. Piers: No easy way of saying this, I love you, these three (the Serenades) I don't. You gonna sack them? (Never). Sharon: I liked it very much. I liked the whole concept. I liked your style. David: I like it very much. If you guys work on the vocals to support him... Yes. Piers: Great potential. I'm gonna make my decision. I'm gonna say, yes. Sharon: Yes.

Break.

College student, Charles Dorsey Jr, from LA, 21yo, Piano player/singer. Mother: He's born to be a musician. "Signed, Sealed, Delivered". Yes! He's good. (Still, he should have someone else play keyboards or have a band behind him, IMO.) Audience chants VEGAS. Sharon: So few times in this industry that people come on stage and tick all the right boxes. David: You've got talent. It was terrific what you did. Piers: I think we've found a bit of a star in you. Yes all round. He's in. (Many of audience give a standing ovation.)

Break.

Encore, Dance crew. Yep.
Alycia Cooper. Comedian. Yep.
N2UN. Violin and piano. Yep.
Kara & Corey Britz. He plays guitar and she sings. Yep.

19yo college student, Heavy Vee. "Natural-born dancer". Hip-hop dancing. Piers: Buzzed. She kinda stands in one place and dances. Sharon and David buzzed. Piers: The point of dancing is you're supposed to move around. You moved around about 3-inches. No, all round. Nick comes out on stage. "Maybe you needed a partner." And dances with her. She was there to inspire. Nope.

David: MySpace gave us everything possible.

Here's the link to the full episode: http://www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent/video/episodes/#vid=1137646

Tomorrow: Final auditions. And Susan Boyle interview.

America's Got Talent - 2009 (07/15/2009)

We're in Seattle/Tacoma, tonight.

24yo Chris Kegley, "Keg, the Lone Ranger of Rock", dreams of being a great rocker. (Is the interview another setup?) Yep... It was a setup. Piers buzzed early. Piers: The reason you're the Lone Ranger of Rock is because nobody wants to play with you, isn't it? (Who wants to see me? The audience boos.) David: I'm gonna leave my vote up to the audience (NO)... My vote's no. Sharon: No from me. Piers: No.

Sylvia Brasil. Sing and Dance. Semi-stripper/Belly-dancer/Singer. No.
Madmat, the Indestructible Man. No.
Pink Gorilla. She strips off the suit to a pink 2-piece. David: What happened to our show? No.

Break.

43yo Kari Kellens. Radiology tech. Dream and goal to be a professional singer. Singing since she was 3. Bi-lateral(?) lip and palate. She's good. "Somewhere Out There". Standing Ovation from all. David: AMERICA'S GOT TALENT. Sharon: Goosebumps and the hair on the back of the head. You've got a voice. Piers: One thing I've learned as a judge... Never judge a book by its cover. (She'd auditioned for a cruise ship, and the guy took one look at her and said, "You're not what we're looking for." David said, "You know, you're gonna go back to that cruise ship and charge him $40,000... You're worth it!" Piers: "You're not gonna be able to do the cruise ship, because you're going to Vegas.") Yes, all round. She's in. (Sorry I can't catch all the quotes, and I hope I got the parts I did right.)

Break.

New York, again.

Simon Shibon. Fire Acrobatics. Yep.
Keith Johnson. Piers buzzed. Bue David and Sharon said, Yes.
Pixie Mystere. Dance/acrobatics. Yes all round.

"Reality", group of best friends. Singers. From Memphis. "Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat" from Guys and Dolls. Audience doesn't like it. Piers buzzed. David and Sharon buzzed. David: We're all sitting down because you rocked the boat. Piers: I'm sitting down because you didn't rock my boat. It's not cool. Sharon: What you just performed is something you'd take to an elderly person's retirement home. Nope.

Break.

New York.

From Indianapolis, Indiana. In Indiana, they get shut down/slapped in the face. Dancers. "Destined 2 Be". Song: "Gotta Get Loose". Pretty good. Host: Lotta showmanship. David: Thought coreography was terrific. Great job. Sharon: Great future in front of you. They're in! (Take THAT, Indiana!)

Rashida Jolley from Washington DC. Plays harp and sings. Dad taught her how to be a musician. Couple of years ago, her dad passed. "Killing Me Softly". She drums on the harp and plays. Good. Audience likes her - Standing Ovation. Sharon: Not sure if it works together. Piers: Truth is if you came in and did the normal harp thing... Actually, I think you made the harp quite sexy. Yes, all round. (Sharon: What you do is so unique, I think I need to see it again.) Her dad said "Never give up.

Break.

New York.

Matt and Anthony. Song and Dance. College Roommates. No group name. Anthony tap dances. Matt sings and plays guitar. Interesting. David: You were awesome, and I think it's the best tap-dancing I've ever seen. Sharon: I love this show, because it's unique. Loss of Gregory Hines, and I thought, it's over, but it's not... We have you." Yes all round.

Missed the name. Argentine Tango. Audience loved it. They're in.
The Kalinins. Father and son acrobatic act. They're in.
Christopher and Luara Camp. Whip act. They're in. (David: Weirdly entertaining)

Break.

New York, again.

16yo Mia Boonstrom. Was on last year, made it to Vegas. But was dropped early. Something for her self-esteem, too. Back 100% and ready to make her mark. Piers: Do you really believe you've improved enough in the last year to win the million. (Yes.) Singing "Georgia". Piers has a little smile on his face. Sharon and David are waiting. David gets into it. Sharon looks like she's getting into it, too. Sharon claps. Sharon: I have to say the difference that one year has made... You're personality shines through. Piers: You are a much better singer with a much better range. You've certainly come a long way. David: I think you did great. There's still a long way to go, but you did great. Sharon: You do have a long way to go, but yes. Piers: Yes. David: Yes. She's in, again. (Sharon: She's got a personality now, she was like a wallflower, before.)

Mariah Carey video world premier. (Nick's her husband.) Delusional(?) or "Why You So Obsessed with Me".

Next week, Tuesday: Internet acts.
Wednesday: Final auditions.

I'll post the link for the episode in a few days. And, here it is: http://www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent/video/episodes/#vid=1135841

America's Got Talent - 2009 (07/14/2009)

And, we're back. Time for new auditions!

New York City

38yo government contractor, Jeffery Widom. Singer. OMG! Bad song choice. His "others" sounded MUCH better, after he was buzzed. All buzzes at once. Nope.

Alex Feldman - "performer" - Nope.
Dorothy Bishop - Opera Singer - Nope.
Moonwalker - Contortionists - Nope.
David Glass - Elvis imitator? - Nope.

Break.

9yo, Tallen Noble Laz. Blues Guitarist. Dad said the kid got HIM into the blues. WOW! The kid is GREAT. Standing Ovation from the crowd. David: You know, you have a major career ahead of you. Piers: I've got a nine year old who's learning to play guitar, and he's just learning to play Three Blind Mice. Sharon: You have the soul and charisma. David: America needs to see you: YES. Piers: Yes. Sharon: And you've made my day! Yes. He's in.

Break.

Looks like some dancers made it through... I don't recall seeing them.

Retired barber, Tony Ferrante, 74yo, dancer (Disco, free-style). Piers buzzed early. Audience likes him. Sharon: Oh, Tony. Let me say you are a snazzy mover. Piers: Let me remind everybody, this is a million dollar talent show. With a great deal of respect, I don't think you're it. David: Yes. Piers: Don't be ridiculous, it's a million dollar talent show. Piers: 100% No. Sharon: All right my darling... I don't think it's definitely worth a million, but you entertained me, so therefore, I have to say yes. He's in. (Ok... He was fun, but not a million dollars.) The audience were chanting his name, and he went back onstage for a cheer.

Two weeks to the start of the top 40 shows.

Break.

Arthur - Strange dance act. Yes, all round.
Nathan Burton, Magician. Yes.
African High Flyers Acrobats. Yes.

Kelly Glover. Singer. From New Jersey. Auditioned for Season 1 American Idol. Was crushed. Went through a lot of emotions. Didn't want to sing anymore. Worked in a casino for the last six years. Wants to prove to America that she can really do it. Great job. David: You didn't give up, did you. NEVER give up. Great, great, great job. Girls from Jersey rock. Piers: We've seen a lotta great singers. Yes all round. She's in. (As she walked offstage, David said, "That blew me away.")

Break.

The Badd Girls from Phillidelphia. Name may be Bad Girls, but we're good. Sing and dance. Want to be big as the Spice Girls. They just aren't good. Three buzzes. Piers: You have as much chance of being the next Spice Girls as I have of being President of the United States. David & Sharon: Sound like... Cats in a basket. Nope.

The Platt Brothers. Dancers/acrobats/mime-type. Standing Ovation from audience. David: Very creative, I really enjoyed the act. Piers: All the tools, and sex appeal for the ladies. Gotta go away and be clever, now. Sharon: Liked interpretation of the music... Clever and funny. They're in. (leaving, David said, America will love them.)

Break.

The Spiritual Harmonizers. PO Workers (same PO) from Richmond, VA. Been singing about 10 years. From 21yo to 76yo. Accapela group. "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday". Standing ovation from crowd. David: That was awesome. Piers: What I normally think about this type of act is they normally bore me stupid. The lead singer was the diffference here. Sharon: This show gives everyday people in America a forum. I'm so glad to have given it to you. Yes all round. They're in. (Why do I have the feeling Piers will suggest that the lead singer go off on his own, later?)

That's it for today. See ya tomorrow.

I'll post the full-episode video tomorrow, if they have it. And they did: http://www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent/video/episodes/?apl=true#vid=1135381 . Please see earlier posts for other links to NBC, and individual acts.

America's Got Talent - 2009 (07/08/2009)

Houston, Texas, today.

The Texas Tenors, based in Houston. "Mountain Music" by Alabama. Not bad. Partial Standing Ovation. David: I think you did a very, very good job. Sharon: It's very raw, and you need to perform, perform as much as you can. Piers: I began to rather enjoy it. Yes. Sharon: Yes. David: You're going to Vegas. They're in.

Break.

Bruce Thomas, handyman, 51yo, musician. Act is totally unique. Believes the judges will be flabbergasted. Had the talent for 40 years. Manualist. Yankee Doodle. Buzzed quickly. Sharon: Not a million dollar talent. No, all round.

Urban Burlesque Group - Ruby Review. Nope.
In Sterio - Flutists. Nope.
Chrispy? Family Carnival (Staples dollar bills to him. Lifts a weight with his nipple rings.) Nope.

Break.

5 friends. AcroDunk from Houston. Slam-dunks acrobatically. Trampoline-type dunking and acrobatics. Very cool. Worth a million? We'll see. ... Audience loves them... David: On this show, we have seen so many hunks in trunks trying to do dunks, and you are the BEST. Piers: Energy... Sharon: Energy - I could watch you guys all night. Piers: Yes. Sharon: Oh, it's a yes from me. David: Well, it looks like hunks in trunks will be dunking in Las Vegas! They're in.

Break.

In Color? - Dancers? - Yes, they're in.
Anna Pipoyan - Belly Dancer - Yes, they're in.
Eclipse - Rapper - David: We've not had a rapper on this show yet as good as you. Yes, he's in.

8yo girl, Eleisha Miller. Piano, sing. "Proud Mary". Definitely a personality. David: Inspirational to all the kids out there. Very cute, very funny, but singing needs a little work. (I think so, too.) Sharon: I don't know what to do with you. I'm gonna have to say No... I'm sorry. Piers: Yes. David: I love your honesty, and the way you take over the stage. Yes. She's in.

Break.

Timez2 (singing duo), twins. Singers. Definite energy. Rappers. Audience into it. David: Terrific. Piers: I didn't want to like you two, and then you were quite good. Sharon: Alright, you've got the grinding and the pumping and all that, but you have to work more on your voices. David: Yes. Piers: I think Sharon's right about the voices. No. Sharon: Oh, it's yes. They're in.

75yo retired phone operator. Grandma Lee. From Florida. It was my dream, and I finally decided to live my dream. Comedian. Not bad. Audience chants VEGAS. Piers: You may be my favorite contestant this season... ("You know? Everybody says Piers is the mean one, but I think he's cute." (LOL)) (I'd do him!) Yes all around. She's in.

Break.

Barbara Padilla, full-time, stay-at-home Mom from Houston. Singer. Operatic. VERY good. Audience cheers in the middle, twice. And she carried it off. Standing Ovation and from Sharon and David. Piers: What an amazing voice you've got. (I've lived through miracles... I'm a cancer survivor. 5 years, and now in remission. And now I'm here. When you have hope, you keep going.) Sharon: Such an inspiration. Absolutely perfect. Piers: Great spirit and determination. David: You've showed us your heart. Keep singing. Piers: Massive 100% yes. Sharon: You're an incredible woman. Yes. David: Like I said, miracles come true. You're going to Vegas. Yes. (After she left stage: Sharon: Lovely, lovely, and elegant. She does have an amazing talent, and as well as her talent, she's an amazing woman.

Here are some of the individual videos from the show, including some from tonight. http://www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent/video/
Here's were you can find the full video of tonight when they post it. I will post the direct link when I can. http://www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent/video/categories/season-4/1127763/

Direct link to full episode: http://www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent/video/episodes/#vid=1133784

Next week... See ya then!

America's Got Talent - 2009 (07/07/2009)

And, we begin the auditions, again.

Los Angeles Auditions.

First up, Nathan Watkins aka: "Nasty Nate", 20yo, from Atlanta, GA, Singer. Says he can make all the greats look like amatuers. OMG! NO! Has attitude, but can't sing. Has no pitch control at all. "Simply the Best". Nope. Not by a long shot. Piers and David buzzed. David: Let's just sum this up, that was simply the worst. Piers: You're not going to Vegas, you're going to the local cab rank, to go home. Big no from David. No from Piers. No from Sharon. NOPE! (GOOD!)

Zahid Khan. One man instrument. Nope. Buzzed off.
Lealand Faulkner. Paper mask. Nope. Buzzed off.
Iota Arcane. Fastest Poet. Wrote one for AGT. "read it". Nope. Buzzed off.

Sharon: all the talent is supposed to be congregating here. Maybe they're coming after lunch, 'cause they're not...

Break.

LA, again.

David puts on the Baywatch gear (sunglasses, jacket, whistle, and board... No suit, TG!) Hopeful to "save a few careers".

Sheldon Wesley and ???, fitness instructors, "Footworks Fitness", turns step into a drum and kinda dance around it. Buzzed off.
Scott Weider, Flys a kite. Nope. Buzzed off.
Circus Runaways. Buzzed
missed name. Buzzed.
Buzzes in quick montage.
K-dizzle. Rapper. Nope.

NOTHING, yet.

Today's final act. 49yo Nurse, Terri Williams. Piers: The good news is you couldn't be any worse than what we've seen so far. (Yes she can!) Sharon commits Hari Kari. Piers walks off. David hits all the buzzes. Nope. (Related to Celine Dion? Didn't get the singing gene!)

Piers: Worst day in America's Got Talent. Even the Hoff couldn't rescue us today. Sharon wants to call in sick tomorrow. David said it's the worst day of his LIFE!

Break. Looks like all the weirdos and whackos hit them first day. Maybe another day will be better.

Still LA

Bri, 17yo, sing and play keyboard, "Burnin' up" (Jonas Bros). She's not bad. No buzzes. Crowd chants Vegas. Sharon: Finally someone comes on stage that has their own personality and isn't imitating someone else. Piers: You have raw talent. Piers: Yes. David: You got talent, Yes. Sharon: Yes. She's IN! (They finally got one!)

Break.

Still LA

TJ and the Little Mamas, 6-9yo dancers. Cute. David: Very, very good. Very good. Do you guys wanna go to Vegas? (YES). Yes all around. They're in.

Miss Germany, Fire act. David: One Hot Mama. Yes, all round.
Janice Martin, Aerial Silk, violin and vocal act. She's in.
Scott Brothers. Cartoon Style Popping act. They're in.

Break.

LA still.

Iconic Crew. Dancers - Good. They're in.

Robert Dunn. "Monsier Pedicure". Revolutionary Dance style - Toe dancer. Just dicovered last summer. Wiggles toe to music. Buzzed by all. David: Everytime I think the worst act in history is on our show, you are number one. Sharon: Speechless. Nope. Buzzed out.

Mario Ferrera and wife, Jennifer, Sexy and Dangerous act. Scares her, but he does that. David: You guys have come to play. Juggles chainsaws. Sharon: Got everyone's attention. David: Sexy and Dangerous, you're going to Vegas. They're in.

Break.

Last contestant of the day. Lawrence Beaman, 34yo. Singer. Native of Mississippi. "Old Man River". Deep Baritone/Bass singer. Very good. GREAT in fact. Standing Ovation, including the judges. (Very emotional/crying at end.) Sharon took a tissue to him. Piers: Amazing, stunning performance. Sharon: One of God's acts, you really are. David: What you brought to this show is class, grace and talent. And we have a lot to learn from people like you. Piers: Thing is, I'm not sure how much this audience liked you (knowing). Standing Ovation, again. Yes, all round. He's DEFINITELY in. David: He came on looking beautiful, sang beautifully... and the audience loved him.

That's it for tonight. See you tomorrow.

Full show link - http://www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent/video/episodes/#vid=1133419

America's Got Talent - 2009 (07/01/2009)

Houston

Divani, Singer. from Russia, lives in NY, NO! Can't sing worth ... well, you know. Piers buzzed early. David: What happened, sweetie. D: Well, I can't sing when everybody's loud. She's out.

Jolie and Chester - She sings, he balances a lawnmower. Nope.
Rusty Reese - Singer - "If I Were a Rich Man" w/Sound effects. Nope.
Stone White - Singer - "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy". Nope.

Break.

Back at Houston.

Bunch of girls in red curly-haired wigs. Lake Houston Performing Art Center. Dancers "Shake Your Groove Thing" *Most all students. BIG group. Piers: What was the meaning behind the wigs. LH: We love the 70s and thought it brought out the dance. Piers: I think it worked. David: It's about following your dream, it's about working hard. You are an inspiration to Houston. All: YES. They're in.

Break.

Still Houston.

Pam Martin & Viva (dog). The dog's her dance partner. Not as good as some videos I've seen, but cute, and not bad at all. Sharon: Quite fabulous. (K9 Freestyle). Piers: Great. David: Yes. Sharon: Yes. Piers: There's only one thing I want to say: Viva... Las Vegas.

Break.

Miami.

25yo Marti Brill. Magician. Practice every day. Not gonna screw up on AGT. When people come and see me, they go home and talk about me for years. The magic world will never be the same. I'm gonna show the world that magicians can win AGT. Card from mouth. Card tricks, most of which I've seen before. Piers & Sharon buzz early. Audience isn't with him - Booing. Piers: You are the most annoying man in Miami. David: You ate a lot of cards, man, that was cool. (You didn't like the show?) It's not David Copperfield, no. Nope.

Brandon Paxton. Poems about ex-girlfriends. Nope.
Diego Baner. Singer. Teaches singing. Bass, decent, but no. *VERY hard vibrato
Wrestlers - No! Piers: Complete waste of time. You may have the guns, but we have the Cannon (Nick). As they leave, Nick says "I really respect you guys, please don't kill me."

Break.

Miami.

Joseph Constantine & Casey. Illusionist. Lost everything in the past few years. One trick. Ok. David: Nice presentation, but we've seen that act at least 6-7 times, already. I'll have to think about it. Sharon: Seen the trick many times before, but not seen YOU do it before. Piers: We've seen it before, but that was the best example of it we've seen. And we can see what it means to you. This show is about giving people a break. David: There are about 100,000 stories like yours out there. It's about talent. We've seen this before, and not put them through. My answer is no. Piers: Yes. Sharon: I really appreciate the effort you've made today, and I know how important it is to you. I'm gonna have to say, YES. They're in. Their kids go on on stage with them.

Fuschiaa Foxx. Belly Dancer. Piers: Oxygen for Mr. Hasselhoff. Yes.
Circus R Us. Contortionists, and more. Yes.
Hurricane Trixterz. Tumbling "dancers". Martial Art-type dancers. Yes.

Break.

Miami.

23yo Hirro Torres. from Oregon. Break-dancer. He's got moves I've never seen before. David: Absolutely terrific. Sharon: Unique, what you do. Piers: The question we ask about all acts, is do we want to see more of them. I want to see more of you. H: I was actually worried about you, man. David: Yes. Piers: You are one of the most original acts we've seen. I'm gonna say yes. Sharon: You're going to Vegas. H: Wants to be the first in his family to get out and do something. And feels it's happening.

That's it for tonight.
See ya next week.

Full show link: www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent/video/episodes/#vid=1131689

RIP - David, Ed, Farrah, Michael, Billy, and Fred (June, 2009)

June has been a rough month, if you are into show-biz, via watching TV at all.

First, there was David Carridine, probably best known by the older generation as Cain in the TV series, Kung Fu, and by the current generation as Bill, in the Kill Bill movies. He died, apparently, of accidental sexual asphyxiation, June 3, 2009, at age 73. He also hosted some shows about "Wild West Tech" on the History Channel, as did his brother, Kieth. No matter how he died, he was a very good actor, and I know I'm not the only one who looked forward to new movies or TV shows with him in them.

Then we got a break for a while.

The last week of June, though, was VERY rough.

Ed McMahon, quintessential "second banana" to Johnny Carson, Jerry Lewis, and Dick Clark, died June 24, 2009, at the Ronald Reagan/UCLA Medical Center, at the age of 86. He was with Carson from the beginning, spending 30 years with him, most of those, opening the Tonight Show with the well-known, "Heeeeeeere's Johnny!" He and Carson were a team. When Ed wasn't there, there were times Johnny was "flat". He also co-hosted the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethons. After Johnny retired, Ed went on to host Star Search, and "TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes", with Dick Clark. He famously almost lost his home a couple of years ago, and suffered a number of hospital visits for accidents and illnesses. More recently, he did commercials for Budweiser, Cash4Gold.com, FreeCreditReport.com, and more.

Two days later, Farrah Faucett, long-time suffering from anal cancer finally succumbed to it on the morning of June 25, 2009, at 62. Everyone remembers her from Charlie's Angels, but she was only on it for the first season. While the show aired, Farrah's poster came out, and and she really hit it big as a sex symbol. She believed the reason Charlie's Angels went to #1 was because none of the girls wore bras. I think it was that poster. At some point, she was making more from royalties from the poster than her salary on Angels. Then came critically acclaimed TV movies, like "The Burning Bed" (based on a true story). She was married to Lee Majors (Heath from The Big Valley, The Six Million Dollar Man, and The Stunt Man), then, after their divorce, began a long-time relationship with Ryan O'Neal, with whom she had a son.

As the networks were preparing to pay tribute to Farrah, something else happened, and has been eating up the news, ever since. At around noon, it was reported that Michael Jackson was taken to the hospital by ambulance. Misinformation abounded, and some reported that he was in a coma, some reported him brain-dead, when, in actuality, he had already died, at age 50. Now, I won't spend a lot of time on Michael, as so many others have. Everyone knows his start with the Jackson Five, his going off on his own, and his making one of the best albums ever made, Thriller. Jackson broke into MTV with Billie Jean, proving that the MTV viewers were ready to see a black man, singing and dancing at the same time, and the rest is history. There will be much more about him to come, as there are his children; his obvious dislike of his abusive father; his love for the rest of his family; his love of his fans; his estate; etc. Suffice it to say that Michael Jackson's death was a surprise, and obviously eclipsed the prior deaths of this month as news.

And before anyone says, "Yeah, but he was a child molester"... Nope. Logically, he paid off the first one because it would have cost him even more for lawyers, the time taken away from concerts, and the publicity. Who knows? He may have even cared for the family, even with what they tried. Should he have? Probably not. I think it lead to someone else trying to take advantage of his quirkiness, and, my guess is when he didn't pay up, they took it to the cops, who tried to find anything to validate the claims and charges. He was acquitted, remember? And if he really had been a molester, don't you think more than just those families would have come forward, long before now to say so? And why, in Heaven's name, would all those celebrities believe otherwise, to the point of hanging around with him with their kids? Everyone knows that a single allegation, true or not, about any sexual predilections, especially having to do with kids, can ruin anyone's reputation. With the outpouring of mourning, love, and support MJ has received, I would say that people don't believe it, and his reputation, while not completely clear because of his quirkiness, has been pretty well cleared. No matter which part of his career you liked, no matter which of his many faces we all knew you liked, he was a special entertainer, and many past and current people owe their existence in entertainment and stardom to him.

Then, there was news that Billy Mays, well-known pitchman, had died at 50, on June 28, 2009. Because he'd just been in a "hard landing" that blew out the front tires of the plane he was on, and he'd been hit in the head by some luggage, people assumed he died, probably of the same thing that Natasha Richardson (Liam Neeson's wife) had in March. Turns out he had hypertensive heart disease, and probably a heart attack. Billy is best known for his boisterous, booming baritone on commercials and infomercials for OxyClean, OrangeGlo, and many, many others, starting with "Hi... Billy Mays here...". That voice really bothered a lot of people, but he sold enough products with it that there was no way he was "going away" soon. He and Anthony Sullivan had a show on Discovery called "Pitchmen", where we found out a lot of things about the products they sold, and about the pitchmen themselves. Discovery is going to do a marathon of it tomorrow (Wednesday, July 1st), starting at 11AM, and ending at 10PM, with the season finale. Love him or hate him, there's not a lot of people out there like him. How many pitchmen can say they became stars, simply from doing commercials?

And, I believe on the news on Monday, I heard that Fred Travalena, comedian and one of the best celebrity impressionists, had died on Sunday, June 28, 2009, at the age of 66, of non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. It was a short story, mixed in with the news about Farrah and MJ. While I haven't heard too much about him recently, in the past, he used to be a fairly regular guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and on David Letterman. I remember watching, and when he was on, knew it would be an excellent show. He hosted a number of shows, and even did voices for cartoons. From my understanding, he was so good at doing actors' voices, when they were not available to do over-dubs for films, he might be called in to do the actor.

Looks like the "three celebrities" rule is true, even if it's a bit mixed, here... David, Ed, and Farrah, Michael, Billy, and Fred. All in June, 2009. Eerie, ain't it?

David, Ed, Farrah, Michael, Billy, and Fred. Most of us "older kids" grew up with all of them. Some will say they lived a long, fulfilling life. But, it's always hard when people you grew up with, whether in real-life, on TV, or in the movies, whether you really liked them or not, die. And, Billy and Michael were younger than I am. Heck, they're younger than my younger brother! All of them had families who loved them, some despite their quirks. And all of them had fans (and non-fans) of all ages.

All will be missed. RIP, all of you.

America's Got Talent 2009 - 06/30/2009

Starting in New York

62yo mother of three, Carol Lugo, Cashier - Dancer - to "Sugar Pie Honey Bun" Fun... She dances VERY hard. Sharon: You're very bizarre, but wonderfully bizarre. David: You deserve to be here... You're terrific! Piers: There's just so much to say about you. David: Absolutely Yes. Sharon: Yes. Piers: Your dream lives on with three Yeses.

Joseph Harris, aka: Yo-yo Joe. Dances with two yo-yos doing tricks. Yes, all the way.

The Diva League - Drag queen dancers - They're in.

Chris Allison, aka Coney Island Chris. Eats a light bulb. Eating it is not the hard part. That comes in two days. Piers and Sharon: Yes. He's in.

Break.

Back in New York

Jay Mattioli, 20yo, Magician - Pretty damn good. Did a couple of tricks. Piers: Pizzazz. Energy. Star quality. Sharon: Nice bit of rock and roll in there. You've made it interesting. David: Not only magic, but cool. Yes. He's in.

Going to break: Piers: He's got that star quality we're looking for.

Back to Chicago

Franklin Sane, County (Juvinile court) Judge, 56yo, music, from Detroit - Downtown - Nope. Audience boos from the beginning. Piers and David buzzed. Sharon waits. Piers: You can't sing. Sharon: He's performed in front of audiences before - Prisoners. Nope.

Break.

Chicago.

14yo Thea Megea, singer, "I am Changing" - Wow! Great voice. Audience was on their feet 1/2 way through. Standing ovation by audience. David: Wow. Nothin's gonna stop you now. Terrific (*3) job. Sharon: Not only are you a great singer, but you sing with emotion, and that's very hard to do. Piers: Right now, you are the best singer I've seen in the competition. David: Absolutely yes. Sharon: It's a yes from me. Piers: I'll tell you what's coming your way... Las Vegas. She's in.

Break.

Chicago, again.

33yo Librarian, Jeffery Johns. Only 5'-3". Apparently tried Vegas, before, but he's shorter than most of the girls. Piers buzzed. David Buzzed. Cute, but... David: That was probably the weirdest act we've had on the show. No. Piers: No. Sharon: No.

Witches in Bikinis - Nope.
Robert Myers. Three Character changes ending up like Elvis. Piers & David buzzed. Nope
Samba Samba Samba - Nope.

Five sisters originally from Utah. The Fab Five. All live in different states, now. All are moms. Started young. Not individual dreams, but family dream. If they won a million dollars, answer: Freak out. Tap Dancers. Pretty good. Audience chant: Vegas. David: Everybody from Utah has the same smile. Go to Utah, all you see is white teeth. You were tight. They're in.

Break.

Chicago.

Kevin Skinner. Kentucky. Plays guitar and writes songs. Downhome country boy. Sing a song by Garth Brooks. for a living: Was a chicken catcher for several years. Not real good at math. About 60,000 in one night - six guys. Unemployed farmer. "If Tomorrow Never Comes". Definite country voice, good guitar player. Everyone is totally silent. At end, audience stands. David stands. Piers: A moment in every season, I remember them all, cap turned around, like you. But within 20 seconds they have it. Most powerful performance. Sharon: I can tell you are a very lovely person. David: You moved us. America deserves to see you. Piers: You could win this competition. He's in. Backstage: Feel a lot of emotions, years of trying. He cries backstage. David: Everyone was moved because he was telling a story, and it came from his heart.

That's it for tonight.
See ya tomorrow!

Here are the AGT Season 4 (2009) Highlights: http://www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent/video/categories/season-4-highlights/1094635/
Here are the AGT Season 4 (2009) Episode Recaps: http://www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent/recaps/#cat=4&mea=402&ima=67254
And this is where the full episodes are available: http://www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent/video/categories/season-4/1127763/
Here's the link to the full episode of tonight's show: http://www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent/video/episodes/?aff=visa#vid=1131481

America's Got Talent - 2009 - 06/24/2009

Time for another audition show!

More from Seattle.

Stay-at-home-mom. 36yo, 6'-2" Manuela Horn... Sings all the time with her kids. Wants to show them what mommy can do besides washing clothes and taking care of them. She comes out in black leather, with a black devil tail, 6" platforms, black wig, with a crop. "Dominitrix in a special way." She yodels. Three "ja"s. She's in.

Comic Bots. Play and dance. Pretty good. They're in.

Tom Durnin. Magic while dancing. He's in.

G-Force. 7-11yo girl band. They're great. They're in.

Break. They all look great, so far.

Still Seattle.

Raphael Serrano. 40yo Bouncer. Went out with no shoes. Singer. Sings "Last Dance". Has NO pitch. Piers and David buzzed, but David and Sharon danced. Then he ends in a SPLIT. Said: You didn't know a fat guy could do that, huh? David: You just hurt every male in here. Sharon says Yes. Piers and David say No. Nope.

8yo Erik and 8yo Rickie. Dance partners. Been together 4 years. Dance to "Proud Mary" Tina Turner version - Fast part. Not perfect, but damn good, especially considering their ages. Sharon: Well done. David: You guys are what this show is about. You set terrific examples. Piers: We have a lot of dancers on the show, it doesn't mean you'll go through. David: Yes. Sharon: Yes. Piers: You're going to Las Vegas.

Break.

Miami, now. First time ever.

28yo Miami Native Jennifer Guadix. Doing this for the first time in front of an audience. Takes out a suitcase. Showing us something different. There's a girl in the suitcase. Contortionist. Boos from the audience. David: That's gotta be probably the worst act we've seen on the show, with all due respect. I think you should both get into the suitcase and mail yourself home. Nope.

Illusionist, Drew Thomas. Dream: Doing this every single night. Three girls come out under drop-cloths. Drew goes into a box. Then the girls start coming out from under the drop clothes leaving the middle one. Drew AND a girl come out of it. David: FINALLY, we have a magician! (This was his wife's debut back on stage after having a baby.) They're in.

Break.

Miami, again.

Sister act. Alizma. Born in Poland, call America home. Blonde Triplets. Sing and play violin. "Devil Went Down to Georgia". Pretty good. David: Wow. You beautiful ladies were terrific! Piers: Totally honest. Voices aren't good enough. If you just play the violin, you will get in. David: Keep singing, keep playing, my answer's yes. Piers: There's promise. I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but it's a yes from me. Sharon: You guys are going to be given a tremedous opportunity, don't blow it. You're going to Vegas.

Break.

Still Miami.

Jennifer James from Albany , Georgia. People tell her they've never seen anything like it before. "Nubian Beauty". 30yo. Dance. (She's a dance instructor.) Audeience booed. Buzzed. David: Like I was being attacked by a rose bush. Piers: I'm not sure you're what we're looking for. David: Sorry... No. Sharon: No. Piers: Sorry, Nubie.

Human Blowfish. No
Time Monieth(sp). No
DeanO and.... No Sharon: Silly... Very, very silly.
Dan? Server. balancing act. Nope.

David: You know? Miami is a strange place.

Break.

13yo boy, Arcadian Broad. Loves to dance. They would pick on and bully him. His confidence was really low. Then he found dance, and it was wonderful... great. Tonight is going to be my chance to get out there and give my 110%, and show everyone I do have something. To "I'm Still Standing". Kid's GREAT. Standing ovation from audience. Chant: Vegas. David: I thought it was great. Sharon: Natural, God-given gift. Magnificent talent. Piers: Great, absolutely great. David: Yes. Sharon: (Long pause) Yes from me. Piers: Young man... (yes)... Three yeses... You're going to Vegas. He skips around the stage on the way out, and is so happy, he's crying backstage with his mom and sister (I guess).

That's it this week.

Next Tuesday and Wednesday (commercial said "Every Tuesday and Wednesday"...)
See you then.

EDIT: NBC now has the full episode online for free viewing. See http://www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent/video/episodes/?vid=1129581

America's Got Talent - 2009 - 06/23/2009

And, so we begin again. Wonder if we'll have a Susan Boyle on our side of the Atlantic, as the commercials indicated? We'll see. Neil E Boyd was the big surprise, last year.

If you look back into my archives, I review AGT as the shows play. When I can, I include links to videos, but not the first few shows.

Please note: I write these as the show airs. I don't have Tivo or DVR, so I only get to see them once. If I miss someone, I apologize. They flash through some who don't make it, and sometimes those who do. As the number of people in the show wanes, I will get better with the names and other info.

--

New host: Nick Cannon
Judges are Piers, Sharon, and David, as before.
In the following, Buzzed = three "X"s.

First up is New York City

26yo shcool aide, Ray Schwartz... Sing and dance. Song: A Little More Conversation. He just didn't dance or sing well. David: How do you think you played. Ray: Well, obviously, I need more lessons. Piers: If that was improved, how bad were you to start with? BUZZED.

Jay Brunnel - Sing and play guitar on a unicycle. Buzzed
Any Lopata - Rap Buzzed.
Sky & Vlad sometihng - Fire dance. Buzzed.

Break. David: That was a terrible start... but entertaining.

Chicago

48yo Movie Usher, Moses Lanham ... Only known living person who can do his talent: Turns feet around 180 degrees and walks. Piers buzzed. David: That's not really enough to sustain an act. Sharon: No from me. Piers: It actually made me physically sick. Cannon turned his shoes around and followed him out.

FootworKINGz - Live in a bad neighborhood. 5-man group. Footwork performance (Dance). They did good, I thought. Piers: I liked it all... Energy, dynamism. Sharon: Awesome. David: I got a problem. Are you good enough to sustain a show where people will pay $70 for an hour. BUT, I do like your Chicago attitude. They're in.

Break.

Still in Chicago.

Sunny attitude. Brother & Sister act from Wisconsin, called Shine. 10+ years together. 14-21. Singing "Walking on Sunshine". Not that great. David and Piers buzzed them. Sharon let them go. Nick: I don't think they know that they were bad. Sharon: Polite and nice people. Piers: I don't think they know they're evil underneath. BUZZED.

The Positive Borthers. Another dance group. Piers and David, Buzzed. Nope.

Accordian lady. and a young girl dancing in a bikini. "We're original."

Christy Marie - "Phenomenal Singer". Nope.

Jay Jay - Composed a mamajam. Keyboard. Three "X"s. Nope.

Break.

Still in Chicago.

A Barack Obama imitator. "The Rock and Roll President". Pete Peterkin. Does some comedy and James Brown. Piers: Take the wig off. Sharon: How many more impressions do you do. 300 or so, about 100 instruments. David: It was good, but then it faded, for him. Sharon: Yes. David: paused - Yes. Piers: Yes. He's in. (The audience loved him...)

Blackfire Percussion: Group has been that for 18 years. 8-18 ages. Drummers. Sharon: Great. Yes all round.

Vocal Percussion: Anointed. Good. Piers: Best I've seen. In.

Unexpected Dance Step. They're in. (Large troup)

Break. David: The talent has returned. It always does.

Chicago, still.

Debbie Victor. 54yo. People are amazed when I do my talent. I think the judges are totally gonna love it. Animal sounds. Works for a law firm. Sharon buzzed on first - Dog barking. 3-4 in, she was buzzed out. Each "no" brought an imitation, and she walked out doing them.

Tommy and Diane Long with a miniature horse. Horse golfs. Nope.

Rockin Rory and his owner, Tony Hoard, 54. Dog is 7yo. - From New Castle, Indiana. With Rory, he gets to play with the dog. Flying disk dog. Good act, and I'm not just saying that because he's from Indiana. Piers: Most incredible thing I've ever seen... That dog flies! David: America deserves to see you and your dog. Sharon: Yes. Piers: Yes. COOL! He's IN! As they are leaving, Tony says, backstage: "He gets a steak, tonight!"

Break.

Seattle, now.

49yo Brad Byers from Idaho. When he was small, his grandmother ran a talent show. She put him in, and he was hooked. Put hook through nose out of mouth. Then swung an anchor (small one). Sharon... No! No! Then he put a drill into his nose (like those who pound a nail into their heads?) All the judges seem sick. Sharon: Do you do anything else? Yes... Piers: I loved every second of it. David: America deserves to see you, yes. Sharon: No from me. Piers: Yes. He's in!

Brad's act entertained the judges, but the rest of seattle was just weird! (Nick)

A guy who strips, someone with a suitcase, an accordianist with weird sounds, Fire group, Bad bagpiper. Nope! (Thank God!)

Break. Sharon: This place is absolutely barking mad!

Seattle, again.

Noel the Freak - hangs stones from his eyes and they're broken. Nope.

The EriAm(sp?) Sisters - Write songs and sing. Dream - To be the next Destiny's Child. Parents backstage. "I Want You Back (Give Me One More Chance)". Great. I think they're in. Audience loves them. Piers: Don't drift apart too much (onstange). David: You are the most talented kids I've seen on the show since the beginning. David: Absolutely, yes. Sharon: Yes. Piers: Yes. They're in.

Break.

Seattle, still.

Jesse White tumbling team. Yes.
Urban Nation Hip-Hop Choir. Yes.
Draconik (playing with fire). Yes.

30yo Loan Officer, David Johnson. Wrote a song about someone on Baywatch. Never done anything this big, before. "I wanna be the sand between your toes. You could teach me CPR..." (Bad start.) Song is about David Hasselhoff. (Had a crush on him in HS.) Piers and David had buzzed before he got to the name. Piers: Buzzed you too early. Could be a very special night, tonight, David. David: Absolutely, yes. Honored and humbled that someone would write a song about me. And saddened he's a man. Sharon: No. I don't think I could hear that again. Piers: Brilliant. Yes. He's in.

Break.

Aerialist. Bruce and Simone. Double-hoop. Piers buzzed. Piers: Just go and get a room. Sharon: Quite Fabulous. David: The kiss was nice... Makes me wanna go home and get a hula hoop. David: No. Sharon: Yes. Piers: Sharon says if I say yes, we can do it later. I've always wanted to swing from hoops with Sharon. Yes. They're in.

Break.

New York.

NYC Gay Choir - They're in.

32yo Joseph Maricina - Impressions. Scares him sometimes at how well he does them. Great at entertainment (his words). Jack Nicholson... Piers buzzed immediately. David buzzed on Anthony Hopkins, followed by Sharon. Didn't sound like those guys. Nope from all three. (Joseph: "Personally, I think it was jealousy, because there's no way I didn't sound like them."). I think he needs to get a recorder, and play both the person he's imitating and himself. He's NOT good. He had the lines down, but not the voices.

Big guy, small girl - Paradizo Dance. SHE holds HIM up. Well, they alternate. (Just married last September). Not bad. Not great, but interesting. Piers: She weighs around 100 pounds. He 240. How the hell do you lift him up. (She shows her muscles.) Piers: That was one of the most extrodinary things I've seen in my life. Sharon: Terrific. David: Grace and it moved me. Great job. Votes: Yes all around.

Break.

New York

Last act: Brother and Sister group. Voices of Glory. Three kids. 9, 13, 16. "God Bless America", for ALL of America. Three years ago, mom was in a head-on with a drunk driver. They started singing to her (in a coma for months). They sang to her and the hospital, and it went on from there. Wonderful harmonies. WOW! Standing ovation - Audience and judges. Sharon in tears. Piers: God bless you three, you are the pride of America tonight. David: Beautiful. Fantastic. Sharon: (can't speak). They wheel Mom out with a mic. Piers: You must be feeling VERY proud of your children tonight. Sharon: Amazing family. And they must be so proud to have you as their mum. Piers: Talent show. As powerful as the story is, it's a talent show. Singing: Best we've heard this year. Sharon: Yes. David: Yes. Piers: My great pleasure to say you three are going through to the next round. (Sharon is still in tears.)

As the show ends, Sharon's still crying. Piers: That's the most powerful thing I've ever seen.

New show, tomorrow.
See you then! ;-)

EDIT: NBC now has the full episode online for free viewing. See http://www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent/video/episodes/?vid=1129130#vid=1129130

RIP - Dusty (and our Pets)

My cat, Dusty, died, apparently January 18, 2009. She was 13 years or so old.

We got her a few months before my wife and I separated at the end of 95, when my sons' babysitter's cat had kittens. We went to look at them, and her coloring was just beautiful, as far as I was concerned, especially in comparison with the other kittens in the litter. A few weeks later, we took her home.

We had a male cat that Mama Kitty, one that we'd brought with us from Indy to Lebanon in 92, Seymour (or Sup Sup - Most all of our cats had real names and names at the time!) Within a week or so, they were fast friends.

When my wife left with the kids, she took Seymour, and left me Dusty and Tubby, another cat we got from the babysitter. LOL

See, apparently, another cat in the neighborhood had some black kittens, and for some reason, a big black male cat in the neighborhood was killing the them. She'd gotten about three of them, and was nursing them with a toy baby bottle. My sons were fascinated with them. One had some physical problems, and we promised one of the boys that we would take it, kind of assuming it probably wouldn't make it (and having warned him of that). Well, it didn't make it too much longer, and since we'd promised him one of them, and she didn't have anyone else to take him, we did. Again, once we brought him home, Seymour and Dusty made fast friends with him. (Oh... He was called "Tubby" because, especially when he was little, when he'd eat, his stomach would get ... tubby. LOL)

Anyway, Dusty and Tubby were with me through the divorce and becoming a non-custodial (except every other weekend and a couple of weeks in the summer) divorced father. Through that time, I had a couple of years of being single, a couple years of a long-distance relationship, and for a few years after I met my wife and she moved in. We got a dog for my wife (she had had one before she divorced), and that dog (who was supposed to have been fixed) had five puppies. We gave away three of them, and kept two. The cats were suspicious of the puppies, but soon came to accept them, grudgingly. Then Tubby died. We're never figured out why, we just found him one day behind the couch.


Before my wife moved in (either just before or just after), my ex-wife moved to an apartment, and couldn't keep Seymour any more. Guess who got him. Actually, he had become an outdoor cat, despite being declawed. She gave me the option of letting him live - outdoors - with me, or taking him to have him put down. (One of the reasons he became an outdoor cat was because he wanted to, but he also had a problem of ... not using the litter box for urinating. No one would want him as an indoor cat, now.) So, she brought him one weekend when Chris (my wife) was here. He's been our "outdoor kitty" for the last eight years or so.

Sometime around when Tubby died, my wife's old dog (about 12 years old) had a 3-puppy litter. When she visited her kids one day, she came back with one of them. So, now we have four dogs - three black lab mixes, and a rat-terrier/spitz mix), Seymour (outside) and Dusty (inside). See pix of the dogs at http://www.orangefrogproductions.com/examples/bdcard/page1.htm . (I used them to make an HTML birthday card for a relative. You may have to allow it to redirect to another page... It stays on the site, but changes pictures.)

Dusty saw house change as my wife redid it, painting and papering every room, herself, saw us get engaged and married, saw the living room reorganized at least four times, and saw MANY boxes that she loved to get into come in and go out.

Recently, she saw a new cat come to the house. My wife works nights at a factory in town. A young cat (maybe older than a kitten, but not quite full-grown), was hanging around where she worked, and occasionally getting fed there. The cat loved being held and petted. Well, one day, I got up, and my wife was in the living room grinning. She pointed over to the table by the door, and I saw a cat laying there. I thought it was Seymour... It has pretty much the same coloring... Nope... It was the one from work. (Dusty never really liked being held. She liked being petted, but tended to walk around while you petted her.) After a week or so, this little loudmouth - (s)he meows quite a bit, and is LOUD, not like Dusty, who meows in a hoarse voice - was dubbed "Mauw" (pronounced Mao, as in Mao Tsi Tung - and I realized afterwords that even THAT could have been a play on words - Mousy Tongue? LOL). (S)he (we've not quite figured out which it is) and Dusty started getting along, about the time Dusty started slowing down.

Most of this is in hindsight:

For the past couple of weeks we'd noticed that she hasn't been hanging around the big dogs, as she did before, and she'd been getting thin (hard to tell under all that long hair, but when you petted her, you could feel her bones, especially in the last week). She'd been laying in strange places, sometimes in the way, sometimes just out of the way, but on the floor instead of the chair or couch. She also hadn't been coming to me to get petted when I went to bed. (I pet each of the dogs then, and she got jealous, and started demanding being petted, too.) She didn't seem in pain, so we didn't take her to the vet. (I'd rather think of it as Hospice for your pet.) She could get food (but didn't seem to when we were watching), she could drink (but, again, didn't seem to when we were watching), and wander the house. I petted her whenever I saw her, but hadn't since the day before.

My wife had to go down to Fort Branch, as her ex's sister had died, and they had the service at the funeral home, then. She was going to stay for a while, and if Kyndel, her two-year-old grandadaughter started getting fussy, was going to take her to her daughter's house, stay for a while, and go back to the funeral home. She was planning on spending the night, going to the burial, again to help with Kydel, and coming home Monday, to work Monday night. Since I can't walk out into the yard, and the dogs won't ... do their doody ... for me, we called my son, Matthew, and he came to spend the night after work. Chris had noticed that Dusty was breathing "funny", but I didn't really see anything, and was pretty sure that she'd be gone soon, too. Well, she was.

Matthew came and we talked for a while. Then he asked where Dusty was. I realized that I hadn't seen her all day, so he started looking, first in the places I knew Dusty had been hanging out recently (behind the couch, on the rug in the back room, behind the chair), and when she wasn't there, he started looking in the other rooms. She had gone into my wife's office, laid on the floor, between the treadmill and bookshelf, and that's where he found her.

As I said, she's been around here, mostly on the periphery, since about 1995. She only "bothered" us when she needed her food bowl filled or she wanted a quick pet. Even so, she will be missed.

RIP, Dusty.

America's Got Talent 2008 - Finale Results

Thought this was going to be a half-hour show, but it's an hour.

Here are all the NBC videos. Click on "Newest" on the left, and you will see the videos I've included links to, below.
Winner gets $1,000,000. And a show in Vegas. Jerry, Terry Fator, and the favorite acts from the show will be there. October 17.

Top 5 reminder: (All videos from 09/24/2008 show)
Nuttin But Strings, Donald Braswell, Neal E Boyd, Eli Mattson, Queen Emily.

Jerry hosted, and asked the judges before they commented. His questions are in parens.

David: (Can you see a clear winner in this group?) I cannot pick the winner. Every single one of you can play Las Vegas. Any one of you can win tonight. Congratulations.

The Top 10 perform together: Kaitlyn Maher, The Wright Kids, Paul Salos, Jessica Price, and Joseph Hall. And Nuttin But Strings, Donald Braswell, Neal E Boyd, Eli Mattson, and Queen Emily. "A Moment Like This". (Standing Ovation... David was teary-eyed. Kaitlyn sang the last line.

Sharon: (What did you think?) Yes, we know there's only one winner of this show, but all of them are going to go on, and have amazing careers in the entertainment business.

Leona Lewis (MySpace) sang her new song, "Better in Time".

(Everybody wants their favorite to win.) Il Divo ("Mama") for Neal E Boyd, Brian McKnight for Queen Emily, Marc Cohn ("Walkin' in Memphis") for Eli Mattson, Andrew Lloyd Webber (from Phantom) for Donald Braswell, Wyclef Jean for Nuttin But Strings. ALL say they would like to work with them, win or lose. Of course, all the acts are blown away.

Audition All-Stars ("The wildest and wackiest performances of all time"). Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now". A lot of the impersonators, and strange acts. TOO many and too quick to list them here. Maybe the video will show up on NBC or YouTube (see last week's blog post for those links).

Review of the show through the season. Quick clips of the acts throughout. (Fun look back!)

(I'm amazed at the ones that were picked as they left... But I know someone has to win. Told you it was gonna be hard to choose.)

They showed highlights of each act's run through the series as they left the show.

Fifth Place: Queen Emily.
She would like the thank America for supporting her and voting for her.

Fourth Place: Donald Braswell.
(You were the act that the fans brought back.) To all who brought me back, God Bless all of you. You've given me and my family some incredible memories.

Third Place: Nuttin But Strings.
Standing Ovation, including the judges.
(You guys are so talented.) We made violin cool again. Nuttin But Strings is about passion.

Down to Neal E Boyd and Eli Mattson.

Neal: Winning would change my life. I didn't think I'd make this far. I didn't think they'd respond to opera, but they have. I thank you.
Eli: It means I can take care of my family. No matter how it goes, Dude.

Review of Neal E Boyd's journey through the show (inset of Neal crying watching it all).
Then Eli Mattson's Journey. (He's emotional, too.)

Closest result we've ever had, with less than 1/2 of one percent between the two.

Winner is: NEAL E BOYD. (WOW! AMAZING!) VERY cool! He's crying. "I love you mom. I love you Missouri." Surprise: Message from a musical hero Placido Domingo. You have brought to America's ears, Opera. I'm sure that from today on, you are starting a new career. Neal: Thank you America.

Neal sings: Nessun Dorma. (He was very choked up.)

End of Show.

America's Got Talent 2008 - 09/24/2008 - The Finals

Tonight: Nuttin But Strings, Queen Emily, Neal E Boyd, Donald Braswell, and Eli Mattson. MAN will that be tough!

FYI: The live show was shortened by the Presidential Address.

All NBC Videos - America's Got Talent 2008
All YouTube Videos (770 videos for "America's Got Talent 2008")
All YouTube Videos (35 videos for "2008 America's Got Talent")
All YouTube Videos (8 videos for "2008 AGT")
All YouTube Videos (128 videos for "AGT 2008")

09/17/2008 Show performance videos from NBC s of the Top 10 who didn't make the Top 5 (Top 5 are listed with their reviews)
Kaitlyn Maher. The Wright Kids. Paul Salos, Jessica Price, and Joseph Hall

Two minute replay of 09/18/2008

All Pre-performance Videos and critiques by the judges are paraphrased. I'm decent at typing, but can't type THAT fast! ;-)

All performance videos, below, are from NBC

**

Nuttin But Strings
09/17/2008 - http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/video/clips/nuttin-but-stringz-91708/665721/
Pre-performance video: Performing one of the greatest songs they ever composed. Gotta perform tonight like they're performing in Vegas.
Performance: Their own song. Same as once before, at least. Full act behind them, fireworks, smoke, etc.
Critique: Standing Ovation from everyone, including the judges. Piers: What a start. I hope the President is still watching the show. There may be a lot going on in the country, but there's nothing wrong with a country that can take two guys from the subways, and bring them here. Unless I'm wrong, and one of the singers really pulls out all stops, I'm looking at the winners. Sharon: Every time you've played, you've done your own. How many do you have. (A LOT). I'll say what Piers said, but double it. David: I'll make it short: NUTTIN BUT VEGAS!
(It was one of the songs they've done more than once, but with a stage act behind them - Hanging from the "ceiling". They rapped a bit and got the audience into it. Excellent.)

Donald Braswell
09/17/2008 - http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/video/clips/donald-braswell-91708/665781/
Pre-performance video: Being in the finals means it's no longer a dream. The dream is here. I have a shot of winning a headline show in Vegas. I'm so close to my dream right now, I'm gonna fight for this. I'm gonna win this.
Performance: "You Raise Me Up". Fireworks and background choirs. He went high on some notes. Great!
Critique: Sharon: Alright, very nice song. Nice. I have to keep using that word. Nice voice, nice guy, you look nice. I just don't think your personality is as great as your voice. I think you should be in musical theater, where you can be someone else. David: I disagree. You did a fantastic job tonight. Piers: I wasn't sure about the last note. It may have been a little over the top, but I think you've done yourself proud, proving the judges wrong and America right.
(He did a wonderful job, and showed he has POWERFUL high notes that even Josh Groban didn't hit on his version. I'm afraid he's not going to make it. Even so, he should NOW have a full career in music.)

Neal E Boyd
09/17/2008 - http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/video/clips/neal-e-boyd-91708/665722/
Pre-performance video: Every time I go out on that stage, I sing with every bit of my heart, and try to move people. Tonight is my last chance. I've waiting my whole life to be on that stage. I won't hold back.
Performance: Opera. (I don't know the song. Nessun Dorma. (Same as first night.)
Critique: Standing Ovation. David: This is the end of the show. I am honored to be on this journey with you. Win or lose, you will go far. Piers: Find myself in a strange and uncomfortable position. I totally and completely agree with David. Sharon: You bring people together. I've heard that song done by so many people, but never as beautifully as you just did it.
(Wonderful. This guy is fantastic at opera, especially this song. I know he can do others like it. I'm not sure if Vegas is ready for Opera, but my wife said, what about Pavaratti? Well, there is that!)

Eli Mattson
09/17/2008 - http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/video/clips/eli-mattson-91708/665061/
Pre-performance video: This is my last chance. I'm going to perform with every part of my soul. If I don't, it's over. And I don't want to think about that.
Performance: "Against the Odds". No hat!
Critique: Standing Ovation. Piers: The thing I like about you most is you can take all these classic songs and with your voice, made them your own. The song was "Against The Odds". I think the odds just got shorter. Sharon: Such a tough competition this year. You have got a great voice. You're a great musician. Good-looking, and you're young. I think you would be a great winner to represent not just this show. David: I said in the interview you were the dark horse. The song was "Take a Look At Me Now". You go back and say "Take a Look At Me NOW!"
(Great job. Of course, all are. He's got a great style. He would do well in Vegas, even if he doesn't win.)

Queen Emily
09/17/2008 - http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/video/clips/queen-emily-91708/665062/
Pre-performance video: After 25 years, you begin to give up. I'm so glad I didn't. And look at me now. I'm in the Top 5. I have to do everything I can to win this competition. My whole life has lead me here. This is my destiny.
Performance: "One Moment in Time".
Critique: Standing Ovation. Piers: You look like a queen. It was by far your best performance of this competition. I think you're gonna struggle to win against Nuttin But Strings, but you gave it your best shot. Sharon: You are a diva. And every time your confidence shows through. It makes the audience relax. David: You look more like a princess to me. Tonight was fantastic. Your whole run was fantastic. Whether you win or not, you're ahead of the game. You're gonna have an amazing career.
(Fantastic. She took the stage. Great job. A bit rough on the really high notes, but WOW!)

These people are ALL greatI hope they all make CDs, at least! Again, this whole group NEEDS to be involved in show-biz!

Season Finale next week. Winner announced. Then October 17th ... In Vegas.

Wife: Neal E Boyd (5) and Queen Emily (5)
Me: WOW! Thought seriously of voting (2) for each, but that's not voting, is it? DAMN! Nuttin But Strings (5) and Neal E Boyd (5). Opera or not. This guy is GOOD!
(I HATE not having more votes. Donald, Eli and Emily ALL deserve to win, too!) :-(

America's Got Talent 2008 - 09/18/2008

Final Five Show. Next week is the Finals.

Again, here are the videos for this years' show:
On NBC: http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/video/.
There are 45 videos on YouTube, ("2008 America's Got Talent") here: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%222008+america%27s+got+talent%22&search_type=&aq=f
And 878 videos on YouTube, ("America's Got Talent 2008") here: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%22america%27s+got+talent+2008%22&search_type=&aq=f

Results from last night's show, revealing the Final Five from Paul Salos, Kaitlyn Maher, Donald Braswell, Jessica Price, Joseph Hall, Neal E Boyd, The Wright Kids, Queen Emily, Nuttin But Stringz, Eli Mattson.

As before on the results shows, they've pulled a pair down to the stage front, and told us which of those two go on. In some cases, you know... In others, it's a big question mark. And they HAVE fooled us before, by saying BOTH go on, or BOTH go home (same show).

**

Pair: Nuttin But Strings and The Wright Kids
Choice: Nuttin But Strings
Nuttin But Strings Season 3 Highlights (09/17/2008) http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/video/clips/joseph-hall-91708/665049/
The Wright Kids Season 3 Hightlights (09/17/2008) http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/video/clips/the-wright-kids-91708/665701/

Pair: Joseph Hall and Queen Emily
Choice: Queen Emily
Queen Emily Season 3 Highlights (09/17/2008) http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/video/clips/queen-emily-91708/665062/
Joseph Hall Season 3 Highlights (09/17/2008) http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/video/clips/joseph-hall-91708/665049/

Pair: Kaitlyn Maher and Neal E Boyd
Choice: Neal E Boyd
Neal E Boyd Season 3 Highlights (09/17/2008) http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/video/clips/neal-e-boyd-91708/665722/
Kaitlyn Maher Season 3 Highlights (09/17/2008) http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/video/clips/kaitlyn-maher-91708/665047/

Pair: Paul Salos and Donald Braswell
Choice: Donald Braswell
Donald Braswell Season 3 Highlights (09/17/2008) http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/video/clips/donald-braswell-91708/665781/
Paul Salos Season 3 Highlights (09/17/2008) http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/video/clips/paul-salos-91708/665702/

Pair: Eli Mattson and Jessica Price
Choice: Eli Mattson
Eli Mattson Season 3 Highlights (09/17/2008) http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/video/clips/eli-mattson-91708/665061/
Jessica Price Season 3 Highlights (09/17/2008) http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/video/clips/jessica-price-91708/665048/

**

So, next Wednesday is the Finals... One more performance of Nuttin But Strings, Queen Emily, Neal E Boyd, Donald Braswell, and Eli Mattson. MAN will that be tough!

Cya, then!

America's Got Talent 2008 - 09/17/2008

Top 10 Show... Next will be Top 5.

Tonight: Paul Salos, Kaitlyn Maher, Donald Braswell, Jessica Price, Joseph Hall, Neal E Boyd, The Wright Kids, Queen Emily, Nuttin But Stringz, Eli Mattson.

Here's the page with the beginning of the videos from NBC http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/video/categories/season-3-highlights/35415/. The ones below are from this page tonight. Many of the other acts have videos there. Here are the two-minute replays of the shows (9/11 is the last one, tonight) - http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/video/categories/two-minute-replays/35417/. As I said... The videos, tonight, are all from NBC, and listed in their "newest". I didn't double-check to make sure they were last week's show.

Heros week. All are dedicating their performances to those who inspired them.

It's gonna be tough to choose a Top 5 tonight. They are all good. We're going to have to base it on performance tonight, whether they can sustain an hour-and-a-half show in Vegas, and whether they are a million dollar act. (Yes... I typed this after Piers' comment to Paul Salos... I hate it, but he's right.)

Paul Salos (Sinatra impersonator)
http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/video/clips/paul-salos/642121/
Pre-performance video: Ex-Pilot. Frank Sinatra has been an inspiration throughout his life. Singing "New York, New York". Failure is not an option. Not here to compete, but to win.
Performance: "New York, New York" Good job... Sounded like the "older" Frank. Piers buzzed early.
Critique: Piers: How's it feel to be in the Top 10? (Great). I think you've done Sinatra proud. I asked myself if you're a million dollar act. I think you're a million dollar guy, but not a million dollar act. Sharon: Thank God it's not up to Piers. It's up to the American Public whether they put you through or not. David: Very difficult song and you nailed it.
(Vegas should be calling him, even if he doesn't win!)

Kaitlyn Maher
http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/video/clips/kaitlyn-maher/646881/
Four-year-old. Singing for her Daddy, because it always puts a smile on his face. Her Dad's her hero... She loves him so much.
Performance: "I'll Be There" She didn't miss a word!
Critique: Piers: For 4yo and to remember all the words, it's amazing. Not going to criticize you, but I don't think it would be fair to put you on a Vegas stage. Sharon: Loved the song choice. Well done. David: I'm happy to have been on this journey with you. I'm so happy whenever I see you. And you know what? You're only four. You can come back for the next 70 years.
(She's great and cute as hell, but I really don't think she'd be able to do an hour-and-a-half show in Vegas! She was a bit shaky tonight... Didn't miss a beat, but...)

Donald Braswell
http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/video/clips/donald-braswell/646841/
Pre-performance video: To be in the Top 10 right now is unbelievable. I called my wife. Riding bike and was sideswiped. Doctors said he'd probably not sing again. I believe you have to keep driving and fighting. Now that I've got my voice back, I want to take it all the way. Wife is his hero.
Performance: "To Where You Are". Beautifully done.
Critique: Piers: Your popularity with the audience is extraordinary. There are lots of great singers tonight - They've outdone the variety acts. I'm just not sure that you are as good as some of the others. I'm just not sure. I ask myself if I'd buy your album or pay for your show, and I'm just not sure. Sharon: You look very sexy in those clothes. You are just fabulous at singing those romantic songs. David: I love your story, and I love that you keep coming back. I'd buy your album.
(He's in, I'm sure. ANYONE who like Josh Groban HAS to like him. He's right for a Vegas show, and Sharon's right. I'm sure my wife will vote for him! I probably will too, unless something major happens. My wife hopes he puts out an album, even if he doesn't make it.)

Jessica Price
http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/video/clips/jessica-price/642081/
Pre-performance video: Jerry: Just a few weeks ago, was working on an assembly line in a factory. Her mother is her angel. She has always told her to follow her dreams, even if she (Jessica) felt she couldn't any more. If it weren't for her mother, she wouldn't be here.
Performance: "In the Arms of an Angel" Standing Ovation, including David. Deservedly so.
Critique: Piers: Every time I've seen you, there's been somthing missing. But you've listened to us... I got it all tonight. Finally. Sharon: Sarah McGlocklin, if she's watching, would love it. You've finally found a style for you that fits. You did that song such justice tonight. You're finding yourself musically. David: You did it. You sang that song as good as anybody. You could win this competition. (David was crying through most of the song. As was her mother.)
(Wonderful. She should make it through, on the basis of this song, alone. We'll see.)

Joseph Hall (Elvis impersonator)
http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/video/clips/joseph-hall/646901/
Pre-performance video: Started with thousands of people, and it's down to 10, and I'm part of that top 10. Elvis, of course, is his hero. He's doing a song, to pay tribute to Elvis, and Elvis never did the song.
Performance: "A Little Less Conversation", the remix. He's got the looks, all the moves, and sounded VERY good, tonight. Words were a BIT hard to hear, but... Audience was on their feet, and the girls were all screaming throughout.
Critique: Piers: Judging you purely on your singing tonight, that was terrible. HOWEVER, on a positive note, there is something about you that is incredibly entertaining. You have the moves, the looks, the sex-appeal. If you just had the voice, you'd have it all. Sharon: Couldn't hear the whole song, because everyone was screaming. Definitely getting more confidence. It's fun. David: I don't know what Piers is smoking. You're absolutely on your game, your attitude is on it.
(Yep... He's got the look, the moves, the attitude, and MUCH of the time, the voice. He's good.)

Neal E Boyd
http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/video/clips/neal-e-boyd/642082/
Pre-performance video: A chance encounter in a school corridor introduced him to his hero. Always the fat kid. Been lucky enough to have people in his life to inspire him. Heard him singing Pavarati in the corridor, asked him to audition for the choir, and when he started singing, people stopped teasing him. Taking a chance... Popular song with an operatic twist to it.
Performance: "All By Myself" Audience was quiet until he hit high notes. Then the place erupted.
Critique: Piers: Song was a big risk. Like watching a volcano. Nothing much was happening, then BAM. BUT... I'll tell you this. You're gonna come back next week. No doubt in my mind. Sharon: When you first started, I though "Oh dear, what did he do", but when he got to the chorus, she got goosebumps. When she hears the voice and the power... David: When he kicked it into high gear. I wouldn't buy insurance against you losing this competition, because right now, you're the front-runner.
(I thought, even when it was the slow part, he did well. The thing was, it was this one was too long before he kicked in his voice. He should make it through, though. The audience LOVED it when he hit those power notes and he went higher. I think the problem was that there were two verses before the refrain, and it's a slow song. Piers said that women do that song. Then why did Eric Carmen make it a hit? I've not heard anyone else do that! Celine Dion does it, but...)

The Wright Kids
http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/video/clips/the-wright-kids/642021/
Pre-performance video: Love the Jackson Five because they're a family group like us. Hero is their music teacher. She's really nice. We want to go out there and make her proud.
Performance: "ABC" Audience standing and clapping throughout.
Critique: Piers: Look, I love you three. I have three kids, myself. If they got up in front of 23 millions americans I'd be so proud. It's gonna be tough to get through to the top 5. Sharon: When I heard you were doing this song, I thought "Oh no", but playing the instruments yourself took over for the dancing. Good job. David: I love you guys. I thought last week was better than this week, but look at how far you GOT. You have a long career ahead of you, because you obviously have talent.
(I think the song selection was wrong for tonight. They did great, but if they'd have done something with more harmonies, and more ... action, I think they'd have made it through. As it is, I don't think they'll make it. Sorry, guys. You're great, but...)

Queen Emily
http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/video/clips/queen-emily/642025/
Pre-performance video: Inspired by Jennifer Holliday (who originated on Broadway). Saw her in church when she was 10 years old. Song is for her grandmother. When she was passing on, she told her to believe in herself. She will sing her heart out to make it to the top five.
Performance: "And I Am Telling You" Standing Ovation, including all judges.
Critique: Piers: Your grandmother was right about you. You are somebody special. There's always a moment when someone comes out and rips the stage apart, and you just did it. Sharon: There are a lot of people who have brought many talents. You have a sensational voice. You have stage presence. I can see you entertaining an audience in Vegas. David: In the beginning I said we need to see the money players. You hit it out of the park. I'm coming to see your show in Vegas whether you win or not. (Jerry - Is it crossing your mind that you might win? Queen - That's ALL I've been thinking about.)
(Excellent. She's through for sure.

Nuttin But Stringz
http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/video/clips/nuttin-but-stringz/646861/
Pre-performance video: Mom is their hero. Single mother kept them on the right road. She bought them their first violins. The first time they played this song was in their basement. When they played it for their mother, she cried. The risk is, they created the song.
Performance: "Winner" Nice song. "Dream Big" they said at the end.
Critique: You're the only non-singing act left. But if I asked myself one question, "which would I pay to see in Vegas", it's you two, every time. Sharon: I love this song. Just when you think someone comes along, they've got it in the bag, someone else comes along. (All their songs are original music.) There's no stopping you, you're so versitile. I want to say one thing, I want to meet your mum, because she did one helluva job. David: Every time you come out, you're fresh. We'll see you in the finals. Count on it!
(They are great. They took a chance, it wasn't quite as ... volitile ... as other songs they've done, but it was excellent. MAN it's getting hard to choose five!)

Eli Mattson
http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/video/clips/eli-mattson/646842/
Pre-performance video: Dreams of matching the success of his hero. Honestly thought he could do the song a little better. Biggest hero is Elton John. Saw him when he was 12 years old. EJ is just Royalty on the piano. Watching him, I thought, in my head, that's what I want to do. (Sharon: Gotta be careful not to do an impersonation of Elton John.)
Performance: "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" Good job. Hard to do a song like that and NOT sound like Elton John.
Critique: Piers: It felt pretty great. I felt last week you held back a bit. Forget the singing for a moment. The piano playing was excellent. If Elton gets a cold, he's calling you. Sharon: I've got some good news... Elton IS watching tonight. Fantastic. Such a tough contest. I just hopes everyone picks up the phones and votes. David: I was thinking, "Oh man, he's got to follow all those players." Tonight, you nailed it. You threw this competition into disarray. Look in the mirror, and say "Yeah, baby, I DID it!"

As Piers said during Sharon's critique of Eli, "Vote for the talent, not a sympathy vote." MAN... Is it hard!

Tomorrow (Thursday) at 8, we find out who makes it to the Top 5.
Next Wednesday is the finals. October 17th for the final show.

I will repeat what I've said a number of times before. I REALLY hope that producers are paying attention to this show. There are going to be a LOT of people who don't win that SHOULD be in Vegas, or recording albums, or playing all over the US. This Top 10 group is one of the best I've ever seen. Every ONE of them should be doing SOMETHING after this show is over, including Kaitlyn. The only "problem" I see with her is her age, and whether she could remember lyrics to a full show's worth of songs. But I CAN see her doing a few with someone else... Are you listening, producers? America's Got Talent brings it almost every week. There are also people in the Top 20 or even beyond.

Choices:
Wife: Donald Braswell, Joseph Hall, Neal E Boyd, Queen Emily, Nuttin But Strings
Me: Donald Braswell, Jessica Price, Neal E Boyd, Queen Emily, Eli Mattson.