Summer Rios Shines Bright on ‘America’s Got Talent’

Summer Rios, a pizza-maker from Brunswick, Ohio, took the stage on America’s Got Talent, last night (August 1). Despite nerves and jitters, Rios stunned the panel of judges that includes the vaunted show creator Simon Cowell.

“I’ve been singing since I was four,” said the 19-year-old Rios before her performance. “But I haven’t really performed, so I’m trying to make music a thing and I’m trying to put myself out there and not have so much anxiety.

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Rios, a manager at a local Pizza Hut, said she used to work with her ex at the food chain. Do you hope he’s watching this now, asked the ever-instigating Cowell. “I hope he’s not,” Rios said, bringing forth a laugh from the audience.

“I’m hoping this will get me out of pizza cutting and pizza making,” said Rios, before taking on the song, “Something in the Orange,” by Zach Bryan for her AGT audition.

The photogenic Rios, wearing summery white sunglasses atop her head, took the microphone and belted out a sultry, rich, full tone that surprised anyone on the show and at home who hadn’t heard her sing before.

Performing over a melancholy piano-driven, Rios showed she could sing in a lower register, too, perhaps shocking some given her youth. Sang Rios,

It’ll be fine by dusk light I’m telling you, baby
These things eat at your bones and drive your young mind crazy
But when you place your head between my collar and jaw
I don’t know much but there’s no weight at all

Watching the video, it might strike some to wonder how Rios had never performed before and had never been discovered. But perhaps some places don’t have the infrastructure to provide stages and venues for burgeoning talent. It would seem that, for some at least, America’s Got Talent is the place for that discovery.

Each of the show’s judges—Howie Mandel, Sofia Vergara, Heidi Klum and Cowell—seemed stunned at the power of the teenager. In the end, Rios earned a standing ovation, stunning even herself.

“To me, it sounded a little bit like you swallowed Rihanna,” said Klum. Then the judges voted and… four yesses! She’s onto the next round.

“I did that! This is real!” Rios shouted backstage, gleeful.

Check out the clip below from the perhaps not long to be pizza-cutting Rios below.

(Photo Credit: Trae Patton/NBC)