(Radio.com) Earlier this week, 16 year old singer Calysta Bevier wowed audiences on America's Got Talent with both her singing ability and her story. Before she sang, Howie Mandel complimented her short hair, at which point she mentioned that her short hair wasn't necessarily her choice, since she is a stage 3 ovarian cancer survivor and had gone through chemotherapy.
That story, coming from a teenager, was enough to stun the panel of judges, but it was her performance of Rachel Platten's "Fight Song" that floored them. In fact, Simon Cowell hit the shows' "Golden Buzzer," which automatically sent Bevier to the next round.
Bevier tells Radio.com that she hadn't planned on sharing too much of her story with the judges, until Mandell mentioned her hairstyle. "I probably wouldn't have gotten a chance to say anything," she says. "So I'm really glad he mentioned my hair!"
While many hopefuls trying out for TV competitions understandably get nervous, Bevier says that she felt pretty calm. "For me, the smaller the crowd, the more nervous I get. I think I kind of belong 0n big stages. So it was amazing and super awesome to be up there and be able to tell everyone my story and share my voice."
She was blown away by the support from Cowell, who can be intimidating to amateur singers. "Getting the 'Golden Buzzer' from the other judges would have been great, but he's a producer, he has worked with so many artists. So for me, it was amazing. I never expected that." Read more here.
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