Dee Dee Simon from Oakland, California, has spent 19 years working as a registered nurse at San Quentin State Prison. She had not even told her coworkers she was auditioning for America’s Got Talent. Her dream, she said, was to finally walk through a door that always seemed to close in front of her.
She chose “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” from Dreamgirls, one of the hardest songs anyone can pick. The performance kept building until her shoes came off and she was giving it everything she had. 🎶
The judges told her she had nailed it and that she was finally free to step into the world she deserved. She dedicated the song to everyone who was ever told no. Later in the competition, Heidi Klum pressed the Golden Buzzer for her.
After years of caring for others behind prison walls, Dee Dee finally got her own moment in the spotlight, and her journey went all the way to the final. ❤️
