90-year-old wows the judges when she starts to take her clothes off
On July 5, 2016, a 90-year-old woman shocked everybody with her audition for “America’s Got Talent” on which she performed a good old striptease to the music of “Let me entertain you” from the musical “Gypsy.”
Dorothy Williams, from Hawaii, showed up at the stage of the world-famous talent competition in full cabaret attire, wearing a red dress, long white gloves, and a white headdress, to fulfill a dream she had for her whole life.
As Williams explained before standing in front of the judges looking like a burlesque dancer from the 1940’s, she had learned how to dance at 17 and she briefly toured the US with a performing troupe.
For a while, she was thrilled doing what she loved, but eventually, she felt stuck and became disappointed because she had failed to become a superstar. Read more on our Twitter account @amomama_usa
“When I got to be 23 and realized I hadn’t gotten to be a star, I didn’t know what I wanted to do in my life, so for the next 25 years I worked in the supermarket,” she said.
But as far behind as her days as a dancer seemed to be, Williams never forgot her passion for this form of expression, and 70 years after she had stopped dancing she finally decided to seize a chance in “America’s Got Talent.”
Before she presented her act, she told her story to the show’s host Nick Cannon, who rapidly grew fond of her and encouraged her, telling her that she was already a star for the millions of people that were watching her in television.
Williams audition was the last for that season, and when the public and judges thought they had seen it all, and all the golden buzzers had been granted already, she took the stage to make everybody fall in love with her.
“When I get on that stage, I want to prove that you are never too old to follow your dreams.”
-Dorothy Williams, America’s Got Talent, July 5, 2016.
Her act delighted the jury formed by Simon Cowell, model Heidi Klum, former “Spice Girl” Mel B and Howie Mandel, who all had words of praise for the courageous nonagenarian.
“I find you fascinating, Dorothy. I do think there is an audience for you. I kind of wanted a longer song. That may be one of my favorite auditions ever!” a very touched Cowell told Williams.
All four judges told Williams how she had impressed them, but Cannon, the show’s host, proved to be her biggest fan when he challenged the rules in an unprecedented move.
Since the judges had already used their opportunities to hit the golden buzzer, and Cannon was determined to help Williams become a star, he ran off the stage and hit the button, securing her a place in the live performances.
People like Williams prove that keeping one’s dreams alive is one of the secrets to lead a long and joyful life, even if sometimes it takes almost a century to actually making those dreams come true.
Another 90-year-old woman, Dottie Sambiagio, from Michigan, wanted to do something way more extreme than Williams, and she crossed it off from her bucket list on the day of her birthday.
“Try and enjoy life. It is so precious. You don’t know how long it is going to be,” the courageous old woman who celebrated her 90th birthday jumping off a plane at a height 14.000 feet wisely advised.