America's Got These Past Contestants

[David T. Cole]

Post your favorite moments.

[David T. Cole]

Terry Fator makes HOW much money?

[Kromm]

Terry Fator makes HOW much money?

This will blow your mind:  http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eimi45egji/no-2-terry-fator-3/

$24 million in 2013.

He was the second bigger money earning comedian last year (qualifying him as a ventriloquist as a comedian).  Surpassed only by Jerry Seinfeld.

It wasn't just last year.  He's lingered around the top 2 or 3 for years now.  

[A Boston Gal]

Two words: Prince Poppycock

[Kromm]

Two words: Prince Poppycock

Agreed.  Him not winning was a big stain on this show (and the country for being homophobic).

 

EDIT - Okay, actually looking up who was on his season I'll revise that a bit.  His coming is FOURTH PLACE is the sign of the problem.  To my mind I remember thinking that Fighting Gravity deserved the win (they got THIRD--they were as I recall the first group on any of these shows to do these in the dark dancing acts--other people later on copied them).  But a mediocre uninteresting singer won, and the cliched little girl with a big voice got second.

Edited April 5, 2014 by Kromm

[A Boston Gal]

Amen, Mr. Kromm. Jackie Evancho, who's now an overwrought teen singer as opposed to an overwrought child singer, is the one you're thinking of.(Sorry if I'm offending any Jackie fans; I try not to be negative about performers, but she always rubbed me the wrong way. Not that it matters to her; she's doing just fine, thankyouverymuchindeed.)

[Guest]

A place to discuss particular episodes, arcs and moments from the show's run.  (Season 1-8)

 

Please remember this isn't a complete catch-all topic -- check out the forum for character topics and other places for show-related talk.

[marketdoctor]

I never "got" Prince Poppycock.  He seemed nice, just I didn't get what the entertainment value was.  I hope that's cluelessness rather than homophobia--because in a later year I understood how the male pole dancer was talented.  (I still don't get Jackie Evancho either, but I didn't dislike her.) 

 

I still think Terry Fator was pretty memorable; he's the AGT Kelly Clarkston:  going from complete obscurity to extreme fame; very few others had gone from one extreme to the other.

 

I also think it's memorable when an act I've seen somewhere else doesn't win--a little sad, because they're often nice people, but kind of funny that the ringers don't ring.

Edited May 3, 2014 by marketdoctor

[Kromm]

I never "got" Prince Poppycock.  He seemed nice, just I didn't get what the entertainment value was.  I hope that's cluelessness rather than homophobia--because in a later year I understood how the male pole dancer was talented.  (I still don't get Jackie Evancho either, but I didn't dislike her.) 

It could just be personal taste, I guess.  Personally I think he's firmly in the top ten of best acts ever on the show.  Aside from singing ability (which is admittedly in a style of music a lot of people just won't like), he also had a kind of sly wit and awareness of how to play up for laughs the ludicrous aspects of his act. The reason his act works is the same, I feel, as to why RuPaul is amusing to watch.  Not that they do even remotely the same act, other than cross-dressing, but it's the whole concept of using the cross-dressing as a humor device, while not disrespecting it.

 

In contrast, the acts I don't "get" are the ones in the same genre of music overall (classical, or even worse opera), but where it's just three or four guys doing an over the top (yet non-ironic) job of copycatting the classic "Three Tenors".  We've seen this act so many times on the Got Talent shows, and I never like them.  At all.  And I only marginally hate slightly less the single Paul Potts-like male opera belter, or even the Susan Boyle like single female opera belter.  See that's another BIG reason why I loved Popycock.  He got that Opera isn't just about standing in a tux in front of a mike belting.  His act was just as much about the theatrics that go on AROUND that.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Loved, loved, loved the Prince and Leonid!  Ameriker will never be ready for the intentionally outrageous.  That's Ameriker's loss.

 

I absolutely can NOT wait to see how the edit monkeys deal with Nick's appearance at Madison Square Garden for a Knicks game.  He tried to do an "open" for a show with the help of the crowd who was to applaud and such.  Instead, they booed him without mercy.  It was tremendous.  They were not playing.  He tried at least twice to do his thang and the crowd would not let up.  BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!  They wanted no part of the phony marketing.  

 

I don't see how AGT can top last year.  I fear a bunch of singers being the story.  It's an easy, and super cheap, way out.  

[marketdoctor]

 

Ameriker will never be ready for the intentionally outrageous.  That's Ameriker's loss.

I think it depends on how you watch the show.  For me it was often video wallpaper, which makes it harder to appreciate the the more surrebral acts.  That *is* our loss, though, as Kromm's explanation helped me uderstand.

 

 

He tried to do an "open" for a show with the help of the crowd who was to applaud and such.  Instead, they booed him without mercy.

 

They might edit that into one of the bad acts (which would be over the line, but so was trying to show an audience be excited for something else.)

Where I'll give Nick Cannon credit, though, is his stand-up routine is very different from his show persona.  The guy has a very interesting personal life, but he makes his AGT persona about the acts--and I like it when he's positive to an act that had a bad day.  Even if it's done to make better TV, it's real to the people whose acts fail, and that's something.

 

I also liked the kid magician who asked the girl in the audience out on the show.  Howard Wolowitz used magic to try to meet women; doing it on live(ish) national TV takes something special.

Edited May 5, 2014 by marketdoctor

[Happy Belly]

Amen to the Prince Poppycock love! I love His Highness to much that when I found out he was having an auction of some of his items on eBay, I bid and won his "Sick Red Shoes". When I hold them, I handle them like I'm holding an original copy of the Declaration of Independence!

[Lava VaVoom]

Poppy was my favorite, but a close second was the Japanese dancer/acrobat who won in 2013.

[Ohwell]

Aside from singing ability (which is admittedly in a style of music a lot of people just won't like), he also had a kind of sly wit and awareness of how to play up for laughs the ludicrous aspects of his act. The reason his act works is the same, I feel, as to why RuPaul is amusing to watch.  Not that they do even remotely the same act, other than cross-dressing, but it's the whole concept of using the cross-dressing as a humor device, while not disrespecting it.

You expressed it much better than I could have.  The worst insult was when that a-hole Piers Morgan buzzed Poppycock while he was performing his act in the finale.  I think he did it to throw him off his game, and he succeeded because I think Poppycock got rattled.  The other judges looked aghast at Piers.  I mean, no one gets buzzed in the finale because, presumably, you got this far because you were one of the best acts.  I don't think anyone has been buzzed in the finale since.  I think Piers just did it to be an ass, and I've hated him ever since. 

 

I also liked the guy who won last year.  

 

and I like it when he's positive to an act that had a bad day.  Even if it's done to make better TV, it's real to the people whose acts fail, and that's something.

I absolutely adore Nick for how he interacts with the losers to make them feel better.

[Mrsjumbo]

I loved Prince Poppycock too! If there was ever an act MADE for Vegas, this was it!

[UncleChuck]

 

 

The worst insult was when that a-hole Piers Morgan buzzed Poppycock while he was performing his act in the finale.  ...  I don't think anyone has been buzzed in the finale since.  I think Piers just did it to be an ass.

Piers did nothing to try to be anything other than himself.  He did an "ass" thing because that is his TRUE nature. 

My God...how this show has improved since bouncing his pompous butt out of the judge's chair.

[magpye29]

Prince Poppycock was my favorite, too.  I just adored him. 

 

Here's what I think the problem is.  The judges are not very smart about highbrow stuff like opera, which is why those two opera chicks are going so far this season.  The judges think they "should" be impressed, and unless it's egregiously bad, they don't know when the performers are strictly average.  And somehow, they are more impressed by the stand-in-front-of-the-mike-in-a-tux performers.  They just didn't get how remarkable Poppycock was.  The fact that they ranked Jackie Evancho above Poppycock shows that.  They were so impressed by JE's big voice, but they didn't notice or couldn't hear the lack of shading and nuance in her voice.  I was so disappointed with the results that year.  And although I usually love Piers Morgan, I was furious with him for buzzing the Prince.  How rude!

[LoneHaranguer]

 

And somehow, they are more impressed by the stand-in-front-of-the-mike-in-a-tux performers.

Dressing up is a sign of respect. You dress up for job interviews and ultimately that's what this show is about.

 

 

They were so impressed by JE's big voice, but they didn't notice or couldn't hear the lack of shading and nuance in her voice.

They don't know what to look for, so they don't notice what should be there but isn't.

[A Boston Gal]

The Willis Family, that musical group resembling the Von Trapps, has their own reality show premiering in May on TLC.

I don't know whether I'm intrigued or repulsed.

[helenamonster]

I'll put my vote in for repulsed. It would be like the Duggars with country music. And the only thing that could make the Duggars worse is country music.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

http://www.mtv.com/news/2225490/19-kehlani-facts/

 

If anyone remembers the teen or adolescent band Poplyfe from AGT Season 6.....here's a recent article about the former lead singer. Now as a solo artist, she seemingly is gathering a bit of under the radar buzz and a few powerful allies in the business. IIRC, I feel like the overarching story w/ them during their season was that Piers (and maybe another judge) were basically making the case multiple times that she was the "star" and her bandmates were dragging her down. So maybe the fact that she's breaking out or on the verge is somewhat fitting given that narrative arc during AGT.

Edited August 3, 2015 by PhD-Purgatory15

[callmebetty]

Ever wonder what happened to your favorite acts from past seasons?  What about past winners who seemed to vanish into obscurity?  If you have questions or even know the answers this is the place.  It can also be a good place to reminisce on the past seasons.

For me I only started watching AGT about five years ago.  I remember a teen band that had a female singer.  I believe Piers kept telling her after each performance that she should ditch the band and sing solo.  I can't remember the bands name, but I wonder what happened to them.  They seemed quite talented.

Also, there was a white dude with a guitar who won perhaps that same season, what ever happened to him?

Edited September 9, 2016 by callmebetty

[tribeca]

Quote

Kevin Skinner has largely remained out of the public eye since winning America's Got Talent, although he did release his debut album on Saint Patrick's Day in 2010. His reluctance to appear in public has been largely attributed to mental health issues. He briefly went missing in 2014 but was found safe by the Kentucky State Police.

from NSNBC site

I did not know any of this.  I meet him after an AGT show at Foxwoods casino.  He seemed very comfortable talking to fans and was very kind.

[dbklmt]

On ‎4‎/‎19‎/‎2015 at 2:56 PM, A Boston Gal said:

The Willis Family, that musical group resembling the Von Trapps, has their own reality show premiering in May on TLC.

I don't know whether I'm intrigued or repulsed.

Repulsed should be the answer as the father, Tob Willis was arrested for allegedly raping a child.  The question is whether it's one of his own children.

http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/tlc-willis-family-star-toby-willis-arrested-for-alleged-child-rape-w438982

[PhD-Purgatory15]

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/09/saturday-night-live-hires-three-new-cast-members/499652/

A massive tip of the hat to Melissa Villasenor, a one time AGT contestant about five years ago who has clearly kept hammering away at her craft and is now the first Latina member of Saturday Night Live.

Here's her first AGT audition:

[Happy Belly]

One of my alltime favorite contestants, Prince Poppycock!

[Indy]

Jackie Evancho is singing the national anthem at the inauguration.....

http://www.etonline.com/news/205091_agt_jackie_evancho_to_sing_national_anthem_at_trump_inauguration/

[die Frau]

There is a new talent show in Germany called It's Showtime. Its first episode was last Sunday and featured Steven Brundage, Vello the contortionist and a 66-year-old pole dancer named Greta Pontarelli, who I swear was also on AGT. All did somewhat okay but some run-of-the-mill Austrian dance group ended up winning the episode. 

I'm not sure how many episode it has, but it looks like Kenichi Ibara (hope I got the name right) will be in an upcoming episode. If it's not him than somebody is seriously ripping off his act.

The show itself is no masterpiece, but I do like that at least last weeks episode had no children and no singers!

[Wings]

On 9/14/2016 at 8:04 PM, Happy Belly said:

One of my alltime favorite contestants, Prince Poppycock!

Yes!  He is a favorite of mine, too.  

Thank you for that video @PhD-Purgatory15.  Odd your name did not bold.   Comics are my favorite acts and we never get enough of them.  I wish more would audition.  

[ketchuplover]

I was perusing reaction videos to AGT on youtube and listened to last year's winner sing a new song.  The scary thing is I understood her! 

[halopub]

Piff, the self-proclaimed "GLOAT" of AGT, has been working on a TV special with Penn Jillette playing his dad. Penn sounds really psyched for his own dragon costume.

• Excerpt from Penn's Sunday School (August 2017? 6 min)

• Vegas News, 9/13: Penn Jillette Joins Piff the Magic Dragon on Stage at Flamingo Las Vegas

[helenamonster]

Just saw Merrick Hanna in a Honda commercial.

[ChiCricket]

On 9/10/2016 at 6:23 PM, dbklmt said:

Repulsed should be the answer as the father, Tob Willis was arrested for allegedly raping a child.  The question is whether it's one of his own children.

http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/tlc-willis-family-star-toby-willis-arrested-for-alleged-child-rape-w438982

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5336675/American-von-Trapp-family-reveals-horror-rapist-father.html#v-8513302201150098961

Yep..he pled guilty to raping his four eldest daughters. Pig. :(

[Commando Cody]

Does anyone remember this guy? I don't remember him. 

"Neal Boyd, one-Time ‘America’s Got Talent’ winner, dies"

https://apnews.com/18289e8b0190496fa8c0e6f57757153a?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=APCentralRegion&__twitter_impression=true

[Ohwell]

2 hours ago, Commando Cody said:

Does anyone remember this guy? I don't remember him. 

"Neal Boyd, one-Time ‘America’s Got Talent’ winner, dies"

https://apnews.com/18289e8b0190496fa8c0e6f57757153a?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=APCentralRegion&__twitter_impression=true

I vaguely remember him.  Very sad, he was only 42.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Anybody else watch Darci's Christmas special? We sort of watched it passively in that it came on after the Voice and we didn't bother changing the channel. But it was actually pretty good, with very little filler. Only thing I thought was a missed opportunity was not having her sing with Pentatonix and possibly one of her puppets. Pentatonix sounded excellent btw on Where Are You Christmas?

One thing that struck me is for Darci (and her team), what exactly do you do with a popular 14 year old female ventriloquist? They definitely mixed up and had her singing with her puppets, singing without her puppets (two solos and a duet with Kristen Chenowith), and not necessarily acting...but getting her feet wet in a comedic hosting type role. There's only two (Jeff Dunham and Terry Fator) in the ventriloquist lane really (and she's so young they can't be booking her on a seedy Casino tour yet lol), so I think they are really throwing everything at the wall to see what makes the most sense as she navigates whatever comes next in her career.

Food for thought.

Edited December 12, 2018 by PhD-Purgatory15

[suebee12]

10 hours ago, PhD-Purgatory15 said:

Anybody else watch Darci's Christmas special? We sort of watched it passively in that it came on after the Voice and we didn't bother changing the channel. But it was actually pretty good, with very little filler. Only thing I thought was a missed opportunity was not having her sing with Pentatonix and possibly one of her puppets. Pentatonix sounded excellent btw on Where Are You Christmas?

Yes, I watched and enjoyed it! I watched half last night and finished tonight. I saved it so my grandchildren can watch...think they will enjoy it since it seemed like an old fashioned Christmas program from long, long ago. I enjoyed Lindsey Stirling playing with Darci, too, and was surprised to see her because she certainly wasn't mentioned in any ads I saw! All in all, a fun show for the whole family and those are few and far between anymore.

[Padma]

13 hours ago, PhD-Purgatory15 said:

Anybody else watch Darci's Christmas special? We sort of watched it passively in that it came on after the Voice and we didn't bother changing the channel. But it was actually pretty good, with very little filler. Only thing I thought was a missed opportunity was not having her sing with Pentatonix and possibly one of her puppets. Pentatonix sounded excellent btw on Where Are You Christmas?

One thing that struck me is for Darci (and her team), what exactly do you do with a popular 14 year old female ventriloquist? They definitely mixed up and had her singing with her puppets, singing without her puppets (two solos and a duet with Kristen Chenowith), and not necessarily acting...but getting her feet wet in a comedic hosting type role. There's only two (Jeff Dunham and Terry Fator) in the ventriloquist lane really (and she's so young they can't be booking her on a seedy Casino tour yet lol), so I think they are really throwing everything at the wall to see what makes the most sense as she navigates whatever comes next in her career.

Food for thought.

I watched by accident, but was very impressed. Enough to look up her AGT performance on YouTube. It was hard to believe she was actually singing like that as a ventriloquist--I thought she was amazing. Plus, the way she worked with her puppets, created the characters so well, and interacted perfectly as a likeable "straight man". Plus she's pretty, a natural host with great comedic timing. Seems very sweet--and she's still a kid! I thought it was a great showcase for her--heavy on the music and just the right amount of guests and comedy. I really hope she's saved the seedy Casino route--she should get her own weekly tv/variety show -- bring back an old genre for the whole family--I think she's the one to do it!

[Vermicious Knid]

The better casinos are far from seedy these days. A lot of them now have multimillion dollar art installations and cost $1 billlion to build.

[AZChristian]

We were on a Caribbean cruise last week, and Bryan Cheatham was one of the featured performers.  I haven't watched AGT for several years, so I wasn't familiar with him.  Entertaining . . . but I'm glad I didn't have to pay extra for the show.

[Vermicious Knid]

Another AGT act got their own headlining show on the Strip. Demonstrating once again winning is not necessary. The Naked Magicians are coming to the MGM Grand. Adult audiences only.

Piff and Mr. Piffles appeared on one of the local channel's NYE broadcasts. Piff did a trick and Mr. Piffles got cuddled by a showgirl.

[Vermicious Knid]

Puddles Pity Party gets a residency at Caesar's Palace. So he's got his own Strip show too, albeit a limited engagement. 

[Plaidmoon]

Who's claiming you have to win on AGT to become a headlining act in Vegas? 

[DEL901]

Tapeface has a show there too.

[Sounder]

On 8/10/2014 at 7:38 PM, magpye29 said:

Prince Poppycock was my favorite, too.  I just adored him. 

Here's what I think the problem is.  The judges are not very smart about highbrow stuff like opera, which is why those two opera chicks are going so far this season.  The judges think they "should" be impressed, and unless it's egregiously bad, they don't know when the performers are strictly average.  And somehow, they are more impressed by the stand-in-front-of-the-mike-in-a-tux performers.  They just didn't get how remarkable Poppycock was.  The fact that they ranked Jackie Evancho above Poppycock shows that.  They were so impressed by JE's big voice, but they didn't notice or couldn't hear the lack of shading and nuance in her voice.  I was so disappointed with the results that year.  And although I usually love Piers Morgan, I was furious with him for buzzing the Prince.  How rude!

When it came to rude...... Piers took the cake..... Examples:  Season one he tells LD Miller....the harmonica wiz to dump his older brother....which drove the boy to tears.  It would've been some sort of justified if the Millers would've won..... they were runner up to Bianca Ryan.  Next was Marcus Terrell and the Serenades.   Piers liked Marcus no problem.... but he told him to dump his backup singers who were two girls and they were all close friends and Marcus was ready to quit.   The girls were good sports and encouraged him to go on.  Piers approved the new Serenades..... but they advanced no futhur.    Finally there was G-Force..... a rock band of three young girls who played their own instruments that blew the judges minds with their audition.  .... but the young lead singer struggled with her vocals a bit in the quarterfinals.... and BUZZZZZZZ......guess who.  So Piers divided brothers.... split up best friends..... and buzzed KIDS!

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Amanda Mena, a Teen Golden Buzzer winner from Massachusetts is appearing with the Boston Pops at their Esplanade concerts this week.  Bloomberg TV is broadcasting it LIVE tomorrow, the 4th.  Begins at 8 PM ET.

https://bostonpopsjuly4th.org/concert-details/

[lb60]

Cuteness overload.

Amaya Love Dorenbos

[Swenson]

Here's an "I didn't know".......I didn't know that back in season nine, a rock band called "Beach Avenue" auditioned with an original song.....an anthem type number called "Coming for You".   It gained heavy praise from the judges who gave them four yes votes.  In season nine they did judgement week where acts would perform for the judges again sans audience, and those were not necessarily all aired on tv.  Beach Avenue didn't get out of judgement week......but their lead singer...... Nick Fradiani......went on American Idol season 14 and won the very next year.

[Swenson]

So Nick certainly isn't the only singer to do AGT and then American Idol.   But he's the only one to win.

[die Frau]

Pretty sure I just caught the last minute or so of the Bello Sisters auditioning for Germany's version of "Got Talent," of which they easily advanced to the next round of. Strangely they were acting as if they hadn't performed on a stage since before Corona. Either this audition must have been filmed before they advanced in "AGT or they were using the word stage very literally....