"There's something very, very special about you. Don't go out there trying to be somebody else. Cowell called his act an "amazing tribute." He returned for America's Got Talent: All-Stars where he finished in 2nd place in his Preliminary week. At present, he is 30 years old and his sun sign is Taurus. The dynamic Terry Crews returns as host. As Brandon began to recite his piece, he told the gut-punching story of his sister, who was four years younger than him, dying at just 8 months old. AGT Season 17 premieres Tuesday, May 31 at 8 p.m. "Still alive, and all the things I wish we could have done are played again and again and again," he continued. "For me, it's my first time and I feel comfortable when he is with us. His daughter, now 6 months old, is named Aaliyah, but her dad calls her "booboo". Sex ET) on NBC. No music, no nothing, just a raw heart beating in front of us. I'm just trying to hold onto you. - America's Got Talent 2020https://youtu.be/SaPXcg7lLfgAmerica's Got Talenthttp://www.youtube.com/user/americasgottalent#AGT #AmericasGotTalent Singers can go to The Voice, as well as America's Got Talent. In my early stages of doing spoken-word, there might've been five, 10 people in the crowd, but theres a level of professionalism you have to have. The new dad moved the. Exclusive: How 'AGT' is reshaping season during COVID-19, from no audiences to outdoor Judge Cuts. Leake was the first-ever spoken word poet to win America's Got Talent. Your poems are so raw. Just a raw heart beating in front of us. What an amazing tribute. 27; 30 However, that didn't seem to affect the emotion in the room. Congratulations to Brandon Leake for WINNING Season 15 of America's Got Talent! SIMON COWELL: What an amazing tribute. As well as his work as a performer, Brandon is also the founder of a youth organization Called to Move, which aids the development of young people through the art of poetry. Brandon Leake's Semifinals performance in Episode 1517 consisted of reciting a spoken word poem in the form of letters to his dad about how he missed out on many of Brandon's major life moments, eventually making peace. This show is about talent as much as it is about story. In a poem used as an open letter to his father, Leake reflected on their years-long strained relationship and road to healing. Brandon Leake is a poet from Season 15 of America's Got Talent. Brandon Leake has made it clear he's willing to take that leap. SOFIA VERGARA: My brother passed away the same year that your sister passed away. You also don't have to be this overly enthusiastic person who's chasing after everybody's attention. Brandon has performed in locations such as New Zealand, Mexico, Canada and 36 U.S. states for his Dark Side Tour, which promotes his first-ever published poetry chapbook and his album Deficiencies: A Tale From My Dark Side, which is rooted in transparency and healing. Brandon Leake's Adorable 3-Year-Old Crashed His AGT: All-Stars Audition The Season 15 alum made history with his win in 2020 as the first-ever spoken word poet to compete. Brandon's words were able to take a 64-year-old white guy and put him inside the heart and mind of an African-American mother whose just saying goodbye and fearing for her son's return," he said. Brandon returned as a guest performer in Episode 1610 performing a spoken word piece about his hometown of Stockton. Spoiler alert! For his audition, Leake presented an emotional piece about mourning his late sister. America's Got Talent airs Tuesdays (8 p.m. Brandon Leake is the winner of the 15th season of America's Got Talent. After Shevon belted an original ballad that she wrote for Jamie, Through the Good and Bad, and received unanimous yeses, she and Jamie (who is now her husband) elatedly revealed to Terry backstage that they will soon be new parents themselves. Praise be the kingdom. After reciting his incredibly moving poem, Brandon got a standing ovation from judges Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel, while Sofia looked visibly stunned. "She's here with me now," he said of Danielle Marie Gibson, who died in 1997 at only 8 months old. Brandon met his biological father for the very first time on August 31, 2017 and he married Anna on September 2, 2017. Brandon Leake, the spoken-word poet who won the 2020 edition of America's Got Talent, has signed with UTA for all areas. Seasons I wanted to be with them, so I got a big house [in Miami, Florida] and we all lived together. She fell asleep and just didn't wake up," Leake told CBS13. Never the same and never replicated. Howie Mandel gave him a standing ovation. One of the best days of Brandon's life was when his sister, Danielle Marie Gibson, was born. ET on NBC. God blessed me with really long arms, so I just put my phone outside the water and type. Leake tells his most personal stories to connect with others and inspire people far and wide. I handicapped myself for years because I was too concerned with how people looked at me, how people perceived me. He went on to study at Simpson University in Redding, where as well as writing poetry, he played basketball on Simpson's NCAA Division II team. Meet the Season 17 Finalists of 'America's Got Talent', 'AGT' Star Jane 'Nightbirde' Marczewski's Family Is 'Devastated by Her Passing': 'Unimaginable Loss', empty audience due to the show's health precautions. The 27-year-old from Stockton stole hearts on the national stage by telling a very personal story about the death of his baby. Brandon Leake (born May 4, 1992) is a spoken word poet, educator and motivational speaker and the winner of the fifteenth season of America's Got Talent. On Tuesday, America's Got Talent contestant and 27-year-old Calif. native Brandon Leake made history when he took the stage as the show's first-ever spoken word artist. The Stockton, California, native spoke about his mother's . After not making it in 2017, I said, Hey, I really want to try this out and get better at it. So I toured, I did a lot of work. "I believe that the biggest issue in this world, and I'm not being political, I'm being truthful, we're all in this together. With the help of four other spoken word poets, he delivered a piece about his hometown of Stockton, California. Then, eight months later, Danielle passed away. This is a very difficult thing to me to judge. 'America's Got Talent' Winners: Where Are They Now? 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Watch thousands of hours of hit movies and shows, plus daily news, sports, and pop culture updates. Act It's amazing to me that on Season 15, its the first time that we're hearing somebody of spoken word. Like, How about I trade my six feet for yours? But that's not real. Brandons vulnerable words resonated throughout the empty venue in an AGT first, no live audience was present, due to coronavirus concerns. With the show open to acts of all ages, \"America's Got Talent\" continues to celebrate the variety format like no other show on television. NBC Insider is your all-access pass to some of your favorite NBC shows. But I was left here to manufacture wings out of tears and broken dreams, Brandon rapped. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. No music, no nothing. Below, NBC Insider chats with Leake about his experience on AGT, where he writes his best poems, and more. There's really no other place to find a mainstream home. Poets just have our local coffee shops. - America's Got Talent 2020 America's Got Talent 945K views 2 years ago Jayy Honors Her Parents Who Were Murdered In Front of Her. She's here with me now," Leake said, leading Mandel to ask if shewas backstage. Photo: Trae Patton/NBC. On Tuesday's episode of the competition series, 27-year-old Brandon Leake took the stage in front of an empty audience due to the show's health precautions amid the pandemic to perform a spoken-word set. On the following Wednesdays, (which will feature celebrity musical acts including BTS on Sept. 16), the finalists will be announced. Brandon is also the founder and CEO of Called to Move, an organization that aids youth in self-actualizing and personally developing through the art of poetry. Pour Salt Down Your Drain At Night, Here's Why, Germaphobe Howie Mandel Talks Wearing Masked Singer Lobster Costume, Stephanie Hsu & Tallie Medel on Their Awards Journey and Meeting Tilda Swinton | SAG Awards 2023, Tyler Henry Connects Celebs With Late Siblings (EMOTIONAL), Jennifer Hudson dishes on talk show success, Black History Month: Denver poet JC Futrell performs poem 'BRICS', Veterans Creative Arts Showcase | Morning Blend, AGT: All-Stars Finale: Winner WONT Receive Prize Money, Kate and Charlie Gibson talk 'The Book Case' podcast and new writers. The fourth and final slate of contestants performed in the live quarterfinal rounds of America's Got Talent. Winner, Preliminaries I would say the writing was always personal, but performing was not always personal. But instead of giving up, he went back to the drawing board, honed his craft, and tried again three years later stronger than ever. SOFIA VERGARA: Yeah. It's the time that I don't have anybody pulling on me. BRANDON LEAKE: I know I said earlier to hold on to love loosely so when it leaves, it won't exit so painfully. Brandon Leake's Preliminary performance in Episode AS06 consisted of performing a spoken word poem about a homeless man he met on the street with a moral of not judging a book by its cover. Tonight's poem is actually an ode to my sister, Brandon explained. We feel your pain. Leake says his overall goal is to spread a message that creates a more loving and gracious society. Since the show gave him a platform to share his skill with the world, he has become a household name across the country. Following his victory just a year before, Leake returned to theAGTstage for a special guest performance during Season 16. : How did you discover spoken-word poetry? Dancers have World of Dance and all these other places. It's no exaggeration to say thatAmerica's Got Talentfans had never seen anyone like Brandon Leake. America's Got Talent Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. Brandon had explained that he had a fourteen-day old daughter and a sister whom he loved very much. Anna posted on her Instagram celebrating 3 years with her hubby. On the night he'd be crowned the winner ofSeason 15, Leake performed a brief, light-hearted spoken word poem aboutAGT. ", Mandel added, "I asked Brandon if his mother had heard this and he said no. Tears also flowed for singer Shevon Nieto, a two-time Olympic runner who quit training for her third Summer Games after her boyfriend Jamie, also an Olympic athlete, was paralyzed from the chest down in a 2016 high-jumping accident. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive show news, updates, and more! For more Brandon Leake AGT content, check out this roundup of his best moments from the show. Brandon's daughter was born just 14 days before hisAGTaudition. Thesixth day of auditions, which was taped in March, marked the first episode of Season 15 impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,before countrywide lockdown orders sidelinedentertainment production. She did this really sweet poem about her relationship with Jesus. ", RELATED VIDEO: Sofia Vergara Says She and Husband Joe Manganiello 'Haven't Had 1 Fight Yet' During Quarantine. On Tuesday, Vergara tweeted that the emotional performance was "a great way to end the night!!! She was going to watch this live on TV tonight.". There were probably a lot of people who doubted that a poet could win, but Brandon is the real deal. Brandon Leake, AGT Season 15 winner: The journey started one of two ways. Just be you, both on and off stage. Last week, a source told PEOPLE that "Simon's healing has been going well," and "he's recovering at home." KYLIE MAR: "America's Got Talent's" first-ever spoken-word contestant, 27-year-old Stockton poet, educator, and new father Brandon Leake, closed out Tuesday night's episode with a tear-jerking ode to his deceased younger sister. (Kelly Clarkson and Kenan Thompson previously served as season 15 guest judges during the live shows. Now, Leake is a poetry maven who tours the country. Relive all of Brandon's full performances from the season. Get The America's. He finished ahead of Josh Blue but behind Kodi Lee, eliminating him from the competition. Acclaimed actress and international superstar Sofia Vergara joins as a new judge this season alongside returning judge and global fashion icon Heidi Klum. That did n't wake up, '' Leake said, Hey, did... Passed away the same year that your sister passed away looked at me, it 's the that... Story about the death of his baby to try this out and get better at it like, how looked. 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