Next Tuesday on America’s Got Talent, vocal duo Madelyn Tallent and Malachi Martin take the stage for a performance that brings the entire audience to its feet.
In this exclusive Gold Derby video, Tallent and Martin put a country-folk twist on OneRepublic’s “Counting Stars” on the big stage at Pasadena Civic Auditorium. She sings and plays the guitar, while he strums along on his banjo. Watch the clip before it airs on NBC:
Midway through their audition, Tallent’s face lights up when she sees the crowd’s enthusiastic reaction. The song hits a crescendo when she belts out the lyrics, “Ain’t no more countin’ dollars, we’ll be countin’ stars,” as Howie Mandel gives an approving look to his co-judges.
While the four judges for Season 21 — Mandel, Mel B, Sofía Vergara, and Simon Cowell — seem impressed by the duo’s rendition of the OneRepublic classic, you’ll have to tune in to Episode 4 on June 23 to see if they vote the musicians through to the live shows.
Tallent and Martin are an acoustic duo from Tennessee who perform together around the Smoky Mountain region. They specialize in country, Americana, and folk music — with an occasional Southern rock anthem thrown in for good measure.
“The silly little dream I’ve had since I was a kid has become a reality,” Tallent posted on social media about her upcoming America’s Got Talent appearance. “A lot of you have watched me spend the last two years singing in front of my iPhone camera. Next week you can watch me do what I love on one of the biggest stages in the entire world. AGT is absolute magic.”
The AGT winners list is full of singing acts, beginning with Bianca Ryan in Season 1. Other vocalist champions have included Neal E. Boyd, Kevin Skinner, Michael Grimm, Landau Eugene Murphy Jr., Grace VanderWaal, Kodi Lee, Richard Goodall, and Jessica Sanchez. Will Madelyn Tallent and Malachi Martin be next to join the lineup?
‘America’s Got Talent’ winners list: All seasons, plus spin-offs
