AGT' star Courtney Hadwin stuns judges with jaw-dropping Tina Turner performance
America’s Got Talent finalist Courtney Hadwin won the judges' hearts with her incredible rendition of Tina Turner's 1988 classic hit.
During the two-part finale of the NBC reality competition recently, Courtney performed Turner’s “River Deep – Mountain High.”
The 14-year-old singer from County Durham, England channeled her energy and powerful voice all the way until the end of her performance, according to People.
Follow us on our Twitter account, @amomama_usa, to learn more and scroll down to watch Courtney's performance in the video below.
At a certain point during her performance, the youngster got up close and personal with the judges.
The fantastic songstress proved once again why she was the frontrunner to win season 13 of "AGT."
The judges loved her performance as always with Howie Mandel saying:
“You are on fire, you’re amazing. I love everything about you. We are watching a superstar in the making right here on America’s Got Talent.”
Mel B described Courtney as being free like a bird and was “wild and crazy.” She added that at one point she thought the teenager’s legs were going to snap.
Simon Cowell also added his thoughts, saying, “Being a star is being remembered, and that’s what you do. You’re going to inspire people and tell them what rock n’ roll is all about it.”
Before Courtney took to the stage at the Dolby Theatre, she toured some of the places in Los Angeles where her favorite artists performed.
“I’ve dreamed since I was really little of coming to America. When I was 11, I saw a James Brown video and it changed everything,” she said
Courtney added that her favorite musicians - Janis Joplin, Otis Redding, and James Brown - are "really inspiring." However, she emphasized that she doesn't want to be like them. "I want to be myself,” she said.
The young singer continued, “Because it’s the finals, I’m not going to hold back. I hope people go to the Dolby Theatre one day and say, ‘That’s where Courtney Hadwin performed.’"
Courtney’s previously performances included renditions of Steppenwolf’s 1969 hit “Born to Be Wild,” James Brown’s “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag,” and Otis Redding’s “Hard to Handle.”
The latter won her the Golden Buzzer from Mandel which shot her straight through to the live shows.
Although the singer has many fans on her side, her start on the competition was a bit rocky. She faced backlash after fans found out that the show hadn’t wholly disclosed her previous music credits.
It turns out that in 2017 Courtney made it to the top 6 on the UK’s “The Voice Kids.” She even played a young Cosette in “Les Miserables” in her home country.
The girl's grandfather defended her during an interview with Daily Mail.
“We always believed she would do well in the U.S.A. We knew they would get it in a way that the U.K. didn’t. We knew she would go down a storm over there," he said.
During the season finale on September 19, 2018, Courtney teamed with The Struts, a British rock band, for a performance that included Janis Joplin's "Piece of My Heart," according to USA Today.
Though Magician Shin Lim was named the winner, Courtney has still the potential to be a big star with a few more years of experience.