Alabama singer ready to thrill on live shows of ‘America’s Got Talent’: ‘You are amazing’

“America’s Got Talent” has announced 44 acts that will compete during the live shows on Season 19, including Reid Wilson of Montgomery. That’s no surprise to anyone who watched Wilson’s audition for the NBC reality series, which thrilled all four judges and especially Howie Mandel.

The 14-year-old singer covered “You Don’t Own Me” by Lesley Gore, powering through the vocals and giving the song a mature spin that clearly startled the judging panel. Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara gave the teen phenom a big thumb’s up, but Mandel went one step further. He gave Wilson a coveted Golden Buzzer, the highest seal of approval from a judge on AGT. It allows a contestant to move directly from the auditions to the live shows.

Mandel said he wasn’t expecting Wilson to sound like a seasoned pro on stage, much less evoke the late, great Aretha Franklin in his cover of “You Don’t Own Me.”

“I was bowled over because I was surprised,” Mandel said. “I got surprised, first of all, you’re just a 14-year-old kid from Alabama, so I would imagine, I put myself in your position, you were very nervous. And you did come off incredibly nervous. That was a surprise. And you know what? That stage is where dreams come true. Do you believe in dreams? Well, one of them is about to come true.”

Mandel then hit the golden buzzer at the judges’ table, showering Wilson with confetti and prompting applause and cheers from the studio audience. “Congratulations, buddy, you are amazing,” Mandel said. “Why did I do it? I did it because everything, the sound and who you are is nothing close to anything I was expecting. You are a big talent. Aretha was in the room. You are the best.”

Wilson might be young, but he’s stranger to TV. The teen was in the spotlight in November on “The Jennifer Hudson Show.” He also comes from a talented family, as the younger brother of Ryley Tate Wilson, a semifinalist on “The Voice” in 2023.

Another singer with Alabama ties, Reyna Roberts, had a successful audition with the judges this season, performing an original country tune, “Raised Right.” Roberts, a former Birmingham resident, earned three “yes” votes from judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara. Mandel was the lone holdout, voting “no.” This meant Roberts was among the acts eligible to make the live shows, but was not guaranteed a spot there.

As it turns out, Roberts was not among the 44 acts announced on Monday by NBC for the live shows of Season 19. That means she was eliminated off-camera in the interim between the previously filmed auditions and the live shows. It’s unclear exactly how many acts were cut after the audition rounds, but “America’s Got Talent” typically trims the list of performers significantly.

Seven weeks of live shows will be broadcast from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, starting on Tuesday Aug. 13, at 7 p.m. CT. Results episodes of AGT will air on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. CT.

“The live shows will begin with four weeks of quarterfinals before heading into a semifinal round and culminating in a two-week finale event,” an NBC press release says. “In each week of quarterfinals, 11 acts will take the stage live and, for the first time in show history, a Live Show Golden Buzzer will send one act directly to the finals. America’s vote will then determine which additional three acts will advance to the semifinals.

“In the semifinal round, 12 acts will compete and the six acts that receive the most votes from the viewers will then join the four Live Show Golden Buzzers in a showstopping two-night finale beginning Tuesday, Sept. 17, and concluding Tuesday, Sept 24.” The winner of Season 19 will receive a $1 million prize, the press release says.

In the live shows, Wilson will be competing against a variety of acts that include singers, acrobats, dancers, magicians, comedians and more

If you watch: “America’s Got Talent” airs on NBC, with live shows planned for Aug. 13-Sept. 24. Two-hour performance episodes will be broadcast on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. CT; hourlong results episodes are set for Wednesdays at 8 p.m. CT. New episodes stream on Peacock the following day.