Blind, Autistic Singer Lavender Darcangelo Gets ‘AGT’ Golden Buzzer with ‘Fame’ Classic

Singer Lavender Darcangelo surprised, and moved, all four judges during the sixth round of auditions on America’s Got Talent on Tuesday (July 11) with a powerful performance of the 1980 Fame hit “Out Here on My Own.”

Escorted to the stage by her adoptive father Wil, Darcangelo, who is blind and autistic, shared her aspirations with the judges. “I have a lot of dreams,” said the singer. “I want to build a school where the classes are based off of what kids are naturally curious at, a school I would have thrived in.”

Following her performance, the judges praised the singer and her moving performance. “That was spectacular,” said Sofia Vergara, following Darcanelo’s emotional performance. “I forgot that I was judging you, and I was just enjoying your voice. That was beautiful.”

Simon Cowell added, “That was sensational. Everything about that was just magical. You have such a talent, you have such an amazing personality. We make the show because we get to meet people like you occasionally. This is an audition I’ll never forget.”

Written by the sibling songwriting duo of Lesley Gore and Michael Gore, “Out Here on My Own” was originally performed by the late Irene Cara and featured on the soundtrack to the 1980 musical drama Fame. The song, which was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song, proved to be the perfect song choice for Darcangelo.

In awe of the 27-year-old singer’s vocals, Klum added, “I feel like I just fell in love. This ‘AGT’ journey is an amazing journey, and I would love to be your cheerleader and hold your hand all the way till the finish line.”

Soon after, Klum hit her Golden Buzzer button, which sends Darcangelo directly to the AGT live shows. Showered in a cascade of gold confetti, Darcangelo said “I don’t know if this is a dream or if I’m really awake.”

A native of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, Darcangelo started singing when she was 3, although she didn’t start speaking until she was 4 years old. The singer first gained attention for her rendition of “Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid, which went viral in 2019, and has since shared renditions of other songs, including “This Is Me” from the 2017 musical film The Greatest Showman, Tina Turner’s 1966 hit “River Deep, Mountain High,” and more.

Darcangelo is set to release her solo album, Mosaic, and to help raise more awareness around autism, a portion of the proceeds of her album sales will go to Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism in Framingham, Massachusetts, where she is currently studying performing arts.

Photo: Trae Patton/NBC