Daniel Joyner was 17 when he walked onto the America’s Got Talent stage in a light gray suit and a neat black tie. He came from Alamo, a tiny town in West Tennessee, where he said they live right in the buckle of the Bible Belt.
His father was the minister at their church, and Daniel grew up with good values. He said he liked to be as polite as he could at every chance he got. It might not be the coolest thing, he admitted, but that was just who he was.
He was a senior in high school, and everyone around him was talking about colleges and practical jobs. But Daniel had loved music for as long as he could remember, and his dream was to sing in front of an audience for the rest of his life. Backstage he confessed he was a little bit nervous.
When the judges asked what he would sing, he said one of his favorite songs, Try a Little Tenderness. He told them the biggest crowd he had ever sung for was a couple hundred people. Then the music started, and the shy young man suddenly sounded like a soul singer twice his age 🎶. By the end, the audience was screaming.
One judge said he seemed stiff and nervous at the start, but when he began singing, he looked right at home. Another told him to let loose and break out of his box. When Daniel said he was only 17, the judges were stunned. Simon said his voice for his age was remarkably good, but told him to get outside his comfort zone.
Howie said yes because he wanted to see more of him. The next judge said yes because his voice was undeniably good. Simon said absolutely yes, and the fourth yes sent Daniel into the next round ❤️.
