Talent comes in all sizes. Chrisyius Whitehead is proof of that. The Tallahassee, Florida 5-year-old is the youngest contestant on season 19 of America’s Got Talent. Although his feet can barely reach the pedals, the kid can seriously shred on the drums.And he isn’t new to it, either. Mom Dawandrea Whitehead has been uploading videos of Chrisyius’ jam sessions to the family TikTok account since he was a toddler. Watch him rock out below with his dad and brothers.
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See ‘America’s Got Talent’s’ Littlest Contestant
Chrisyius is one of five children born to Chris and Dawandrea Whitehead. Chris is a pastor, and the entire family is heavily involved in their church community. Music is apparently a key component of the Whitehead family’s faith. In April 2023, Dawandrea uploaded a video to the family’s TikTok account of Chrisyius singing a worship song with his father and two siblings inside a vehicle. It quickly went viral.
The little boy makes himself clearly heard in the family rendition of Tommy Ellison & The Five Singing Stars’ 1983 hit song “Somewhere To Lay My Head.” Then just 4, Chrisyius keeps perfect time by “drumming” on his armrest. “This drummer ain’t playing!” one user commented. “How old is he?”
Another TikTok user had the same question, adding, “They all did a fantastic job but little man stole the show with that beat.”
Chrisyius has had three years of practice on the drums (despite only just graduating from pre-K in April.) His audition for judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Sofia Vergara will air before his first day of kindergarten.
Producers Actually Contacted Chrisyius First
Chrisyius didn’t even need to reach out to America’s Got Talent producers. Instead, they contacted his parents after seeing one of his TikTok videos.
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“[A]t first I thought it was a scam so I ignored them,” Dawandrea Whitehead wrote in a May 29 Facebook post.
However, after some time and prayers, Chris and Dawandrea decided to accept the offer. In March, they flew with their son to Los Angeles for the audition.
“One of the most exciting experiences ever!” the proud mother wrote. “That Is all we can say right now. BUT we are SO excited about what the future holds!!!!”
Featured photo via Dawandrea Whitehead/Facebook
